Which airlines have the most legroom — and which are the most cramped?

David Landsel
·2 min read
legroom graph
legroom graph

Size does matter.

That’s at least when it comes to flying, where every inch between your seat and the seat in front of you counts for a lot.

If you need legroom, make sure you’re choosing the right US airline — a recent survey showed that some popular carriers are typically downright cramped, with others offering an experience that’s luxurious by comparison.

Every inch counts — when we’re talking about the distance between seats on a plane, anyway. Getty Images
Every inch counts — when we’re talking about the distance between seats on a plane, anyway. Getty Images

The pros at UpgradedPoints.com crunched the numbers, looking for the average amount of stretch-out space on the 10 busiest domestic flight routes.

This was done using seat pitch statistics — seat pitch is an industry term for the distance between a seat and the same spot on the seat behind it.

Ultimately, the data jugglers found that not only does it matter what airline you fly — but the aircraft, as well. Read on for more details.

The domestic airlines with the most legroom in 2024

  1. JetBlue Airways 32.3 inches

  2. Southwest Airlines 31.8 inches

  3. Delta/Alaska Aiirilnes 31.0 inches

Once you drop below 30 inches, the experts warn, the long-legged are on their own.

The domestic airlines with the least legroom in 2024

  1. Spirit/Frontier Airlines 28.0 inches

  2. Hawaiian Airlines 29.0 inches

  3. United Airlines 30.1 inches

  4. American Airlines 30.2 inches

Upgraded Points
Upgraded Points

While the averages can give you a good sense of what to expect, those in search of a little more certainty can find out even more about what it’s store by locating the type of aircraft that’s scheduled to be used — that information is widely available, for the most part, throughout the booking process.

Once you know the make and model, just like if you were renting a car, you can find out all sorts of details — about seating and cabin layouts and more.

Aircraft with the most spacious passenger seating in 2024

  1. Embraer 190 32.0 inches

  2. Canadair RJ 900 31.0 inches

  3. Boeing 767, 777, 787 31.0 inches

  4. Airbus A350, A330-900neo, A220-300, A220-100 31.0 inches

Knowing what kind of aircraft your flight is booked on can most likely help you find out even more about what kind of legroom to expect. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Knowing what kind of aircraft your flight is booked on can most likely help you find out even more about what kind of legroom to expect. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Aircraft with the most cramped passenger seating in 2024

  1. Airbus A320neo 28.0 inches

  2. Airbus A321 (Sharklets) 28.7 inches

  3. Boeing 717 29.1 inches

  4. Airbus A319 29.8 inches

The survey was conducted using the Google Chrome extension Legrooms for Google Flights — which anyone can download to a Chrome browser — as well as data for all listed flights on the 10 busiest domestic flight routes in November of 2023, according to OAG, a global travel data provider.

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