Summary

• airBaltic and Air France offer the most generous economy seat pitch in Europe, with 32 inches.
• Wizz Air has the tightest seat pitch among low-cost airlines in Europe, with just 28 inches.
• European airlines generally offer 31 inches seat pitch for long-haul flights, but Asian and Middle Eastern airlines provide more spacious seats.

Complaints about the tightness of airline seats are becoming more and more common. With the rise of low-cost airlines prioritizing quantity over quality, carriers worldwide are searching for ways to become more competitive. In turn, full-service airlines have found themselves reducing seat pitch in order to cram more people in their planes and ensure they remain competitive, faced with the likes of Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet, among others.

Typically, airlines in Europe offer seat pitches of between 29 and 31 inches on short-haul, narrowbody services. Some airlines, including ultra-low-cost giant Wizz Air, offer a seat pitch of just 28 inches. On the widebody front, 32 inches is the average, yet this can vary. With the help of SeatGuru and ch-aviation, we have identified some of the cabins that stand out the most in Europe. This list is non-exhaustive and provides a rundown of but a few examples of the more generous airlines and those that leave much to desire.

Best for European short-haul (general)

There are few differences these days in economy cabins with most airlines. A few do stand out, though, for offering that little bit more.

In first place is AirBaltic, which has a great economy cabin on the Airbus A220. It is arranged in a 2-3 layout for most of the cabin and offers a very generous 32-inch seat pitch and 18.5-inch width. As of December 2023, the airline operates a fleet of 46 Airbus A220s with the latest having been delivered on December 21 registered YL-ABT.

In second place comes the French national carrier, Air France. Of the main legacy airlines, Air France offers some of the best space. It features a 32-inch pitch and 18-inch seat width on most of its Airbus narrowbodies. This includes on its Airbus A319s, Airbus A320s and Airbus A321s. The airline's Airbus A220 fleet features 30 inches of seat pitch. Certain Airbus A321 aircraft also feature less than 32 inches of pitch.

It is also worth noting Finnair boasts 31 inches of pitch and 18 inches of width on all its Airbus narrowbodies. This includes a fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft, comprising Airbus A319s, Airbus A320s and Airbus A321s.

In fourth place comes KLM with its Boeing 737s, offering 30-inch pitch and 17-inch width. On its Embraer E175 aircraft, this drops to just 29 inches. KLM has a fleet of 42 Boeing 737 aircraft, while its subsidiary KLM Cityhopper operates 17 Embraer E175 aircraft.

Finally, British Airways offers 30 inches on many of its aircraft, but this does drop to 29 on some (such as the A321neo) while in some configurations, it is 31 inches. Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines both offer 30 inches in their Airbus A320 family fleets.

Want answers to more key questions in aviation? Check out the rest of our guides here.

Best for European short-haul (low-cost)

Europe’s several low-cost airlines are not noted for their comfort and legroom. As you would expect, price is the driving factor here, and space and legroom take second place. There are differences, though.

Wizzair is about the worst in this regard, with just 28 inches of seat pitch on its A320 and A321 aircraft. easyJet sits in the middle with a standard pitch of 29 inches on all its Airbus aircraft (but also notably narrower seats at 17 inches as opposed to 18 inches).

Ryanair leads the pack with a standard pitch of 30 inches. Similarly to the other low-cost airlines, it also offers premium seats up front (for an extra charge) with a great 32 to 34-inch pitch. This beats some “legacy” airlines, including Iberia, which goes as low as 28 inches on its Airbus narrowbodies. To be clear, no one is saying you are going to find Ryanair spacious – but it might be a bit better than some others!

Best for European long-haul

Thankfully, long-haul widebody flights generally offer slightly more spacious economy seats, both for pitch and width. Most European airlines offer 31 inches seat pitch these days, with a few exceptions. Several older aircraft have larger 32-inch pitches, but sadly, many airlines continue to make their economy class more packed.

Finnair’s long-haul aircraft show this quite evidently. Finnair's A350 economy class is a newer product but less spacious. Its older Airbus A330s all offer 32-inch pitch, dropped on the newer A350s to 31 inches.

Air France is another example. Its newer A350s and 787s offer just 31-inch pitch, whereas older Boeing 777s have 32 inches.

European airlines do not generally do the best when compared to others globally. The Skytrax World Airline Awards are dominated by Asian and Middle Eastern airlines. Emirates, for example, offers up to 34 inches pitch on the Airbus A380 and 32 inches on the Boeing 777. Singapore Airlines offers 32 inches on most widebody aircraft but up to 34 inches on some Boeing 777s.

Lufthansa, however, deserves mention here. It came highest in Europe (at 13th place) in the 2021 awards for best overall economy class. This ranking takes into account the overall economy products, including seat comfort, service, and entertainment. For seating, Lufthansa offers 31 inches in most of its widebody cabins and 30 inches on its narrowbodies.

This has just been a quick look at a few of the economy seating options that stand out in Europe. What are your personal favorites in Europe?