Passengers who like to fly using cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages are sometimes frustrated by how small airplane seats are as airlines have added more seats to their planes.
Coach seats can vary widely in their amount of space depending on the airline and the seats location. Airlines measure legroom by seat pitch which is the distance between one point on a seat and that same point on the seat behind.
The following are tips as to how to find roomier airplane seats:
Seat Guru and Seat Expert are two websites that publish seat maps for many of Americas most popular airlines. Their objective is to help travelers identify the most desirable seats before they fly.
A few airlines offer more legroom, including JetBlue, which offers relatively good legroom in coach as well as the ability to purchase a few extra inches in its Even More Legroom section.
For a fee, United offers seats with more legroom in its Economy Plus sections. The added price ranges from a couple of dollars to over $100 on longer flights. This type of seating is being rolled out over the next few months on Continental planes as the merger proceeds.
Delta has started offering Economy Comfort seats this summer where passengers can find more legroom.
If you need extra legroom, avoid ultra low cost airlines such as Spirit and Allegiant. Although these airlines often offer low ticket prices, they come at the expense of legroom.
If you fly frequently, try to select flights on a single airline since by earning elite status you will usually have access to exit rows and premium seats without charge, depending on availability.
If you arrive at the airport still looking for a roomier seat, ask the gate agent if there is an available exit row seat. www.cheapfares.com