A five-hour flight to the targeted destination can be a torment for people with tall legs, especially for economy class passengers, where the space between the seats is very narrow.
Aviation expert Cord Schellenberg in Hamburg says: "Obviously, more people are being squeezed into the economy than ever before. But when space is tight, I always ask: How much did you pay for the ticket?" More airlines have begun offering tickets with different options for those who want more than a regular seat in the economy class.
Schellenberg adds that there are two types: the same seat, but with more leg space, such as that offered by the German Euro Wings, or Premium Economy, which offers more leg space, a different seat type, and sometimes more services.
On Euro Wings flights, the regular distance between two consecutive seats in medium and short flights is 73 cm. In the first rows of the Airbus A319 and E-320 fleet, the distance is about 81 cm. Dimensions may vary when using an aircraft from a partner airline.
The business class offers a full two-meter-long flatbed for long distance flights. In the Premium Economy class, the distance ranges between 96.5 cm (Airbus A3343 and E333) and 114 cm (A332). In the economy class, the distance between standard seats is 76 to 79 cm. Seats leaving "more space for legs" offer a distance of 86 cm, according to the German news agency.
As for Lufthansa, it reported that the distance between two consecutive seats on long-distance flights in its economy class is 79 cm, and between 76 and 81 cm in medium and short flights the distance, depending on the type of the aircraft. If you want more distance you can book a first class (204 to 207 cm), business class (163 cm for long-distance flights) and Premium Economy (96.5 cm). Like the economy class, the distance between two consecutive business class seats on short and long trips is 76 to 81 cm.
For Ryanair, the Irish low-cost airline, the distance between two consecutive seats is 74-78 cm.
Emirates Airline operates two types of long-distance aircraft. The distance between two consecutive seats on the Airbus A380 is 81- 84 cm in economy class, 99-122 cm in business class and 208 cm in the first class. In Boeing 777, the distance is 81- 86 (economy), 99-122 cm (business class) and 213-229 cm (first class).
