ROME — Everyone wants extra legroom on a plane, a luxury that’s hard to come by in an era of no frills flying.
But some airlines are staying true to their ‘customers first’ policy by going above and beyond the industry standard of 31-32 inches, and Condé Nast Traveler USA has ranked them from best to worst.
After comparing data from Routehappy and SeatGuru, and cross-referencing it with the airlines’ own sites, Condé Nast found that among the world’s airlines, Aeromexico and Interjet tied for first place with 34 inches of legroom.
Rounding out the top five are Japan Airlines and Turkish Airlines at 33-34 inches, South African Airways at 33.5 inches, ANA and EVA Airways at 32-34 inches, and Asiana and Air China at 32-33 inches.
The airlines with the most legroom in the United States are:
1. JetBlue with 33-34 inches
2. Alaska Airlines with 32 inches
3. Southwest with 32 inches
4. Hawaiian Airlines with 32-32 inches
5. American, United and Delta with 31 inches
This, of course, means that there must be airlines on the opposite end of the spectrum, whose creature comforts leave much to be desired. The airlines guilty of squeezing passengers in space that falls short of the industry 31-32 inch standard are Aeroflot, Austrian Airlines, Cebu Pacific, EasyJet, Ryanair and Royal Air Maroc, all of which offer a disheartening 30 inches.
Condé Nast Traveler USA did note, however, that the rankings are not universally inclusive and that only major recognizable companies were included in its survey. It also noted that due to the fact that cabins and fleets are constantly being updated, the results are subject to change.
