In this article, we unveil the airlines that offer the best legroom in Economy class by narrow-body aircraft type.
While variations exist, the prevailing trend across these narrowbody aircraft types suggests that Airbus narrowbodies offer slightly wider seats, with seat widths hovering around 18 inches. On the contrary, Boeing narrowbodies offer narrower seats, averaging around 17 inches.
Best Airbus A320 Family Economy Class Seats
The Airbus A320, a workhorse of short to medium-haul flights, offers a diverse range of economy-class experiences. The majority of the airlines maintain a consistent width of 18 inches across the A320 family.
| Airbus A320 Economy Class Seats | |||
| Airlines | Legroom (inches) | Width (inches) | Aircraft Type |
| Air Arabia | 34″ | 18″ | A321neo |
| JetBlue Airways | 33-34″ | 18″ | A320/A321 |
| StarFlyer | 32-34″ | 18″ | A320/A320neo |
| Gulf Air | 33-34″ | 17.5″ | A320-200 |
| Kuwait Airways | 32-33″ | 18″ | A320-200neo |
| LIFT | 32-33″ | 18″ | A320-200 |
| Malta MedAir | 32-33″ | 18″ | A320-200 |
| Saudia | 32-33″ | 18″ | A320-200/A321-200 |
| China Eastern | 31-33″ | 17.8″ | A319-100 |
| Freedom Airline Express | 31-33″ | 18″ | A320-200 |
| Tunisair | 31-33″ | 18″ | A319-100/A320 |
| Air New Zealand | 30-34″ | 18″ | A320-200 |
| Bamboo Airways | 30-33″ | 17.5-18″ | A320-200 |
| Hong Kong Airlines | 30-33″ | 17.8″ | A320-200 |
| Royal Jordanian | 30-33″ | 18″ | A319-100 |
| Turkish Airlines | 30-33″ | 18″ | A321-200neo |
Best Boeing 737 Economy Class Seats
Exploring the Boeing 737, we find a mix of legroom options and seat widths. Japan Airlines and White Airways offer the best legroom on the Boeing 737 measuring at 34 inches.
While the legroom varies from one airline to another, the seat width trend hovers around 17 to 18 inches. Southwest Airlines stands out offering the widest seats at 17.8 inches.
Here’s a 360-degree cabin of Southwest B737 MAX 8 by Seatmaps.com.
| Boeing 737 Economy Class Seats | |||
| Airlines | Legroom (inches) | Width (inches) | Aircraft Type |
| Japan Airlines | 34″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| White Airways | 34″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| Aero Contractors | 33-34″ | 17.5″ | 737-500 |
| Korean Air | 33-34″ | 17.2″ | 737-800 |
| Surinam Airways | 32-33″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| Aerolineas Argentinas | 32″ | 17″ | 737 MAX 8 |
| Air Algerie | 32″ | 17″ | 737-600/800 |
| Batik Air | 32″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| BoA – Boliviana de Aviación | 32″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| Cayman Airways | 32″ | 17″ | 737 MAX 8 |
| China Eastern | 32″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| Egyptair | 32″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| Fiji Airways | 32″ | 17″ | 737-800/MAX 8 |
| iAero Airways | 32″ | 17″ | 737-300/800 |
| Kenya Airways | 32″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| Myanmar National Airlines | 32″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| Royal Air Maroc | 32″ | 17″ | 737-800/MAX 8 |
| Solaseed Air | 32″ | 17″ | 737-800 |
| Southwest Airlines | 32″ | 17.8″ | 737-800/MAX 8 |
| China Southern | 31-35″ | 17-17.2″ | 737-800 |
| Daallo Airlines | 31-34″ | 17.5″ | 737-300 |
| WestJet | 31-33″ | 17″ | 737-700 |
Best Boeing 757 Economy Class Seats
Moving to the Boeing 757 series, Icelandair offers the best legroom at 32 inches on its 757-300 fleet. However, the seat width varies among carriers from 16.3 to 17.8 inches.
Interestingly, United offers both the narrowest and the widest seat on the Boeing 757 series. Similar to its counterpart, Delta also offers a variety of seat widths on its B757s ranging from 16.3 to 17.3 inches.
| Boeing 757 Economy Class Seats | |||
| Airlines | Legroom (inches) | Width (inches) | Aircraft Type |
| Icelandair | 32″ | 17″ | 757-300 |
| National Airlines | 32″ | 17″ | 757-200 |
| Delta | 31-33″ | 16.3-17.3″ | 757-200 |
| AZAL Azerbaijan Airlines | 31-32″ | 17.5″ | 757-200 |
| Icelandair | 31-32″ | 17″ | 757-200 |
| Northern Pacific Airways | 31-32″ | 17″ | 757-200 |
| SCAT Airlines | 31-32″ | 17-18″ | 757-200 |
| United | 30-31″ | 16.3-17.8″ | 757-200/300 |
| Uzbekistan Airways | 30-32″ | 17″ | 757-200 |
| Azur Air | 30″ | 17″ | 757-200 |
Best Airbus A220 Economy Class Seats
The Airbus A220, a newer addition to the narrowbody family, brings a fresh perspective to Economy Class. Air Tanzania and Cyprus Airways shine with 32 inches of legroom on the A220-300. One interesting fact is the middle seat on all A220 has slightly more width than the other seat.
Here’s a 360-degree cabin of airBaltic A220 by Seatmaps.com.
Additionally, Delta stands out with widths ranging from 18.1 to 18.6 inches. With a consistent width of around 18 inches, the Airbus A220 emerges as a standout performer in seat width based on its category.
| Airbus A220 Economy Class Seats | |||
| Airlines | Legroom (inches) | Width (inches) | Aircraft Type |
| Air Tanzania | 32″ | 18.5″ | A220-300 |
| Cyprus Airways | 32″ | 18″ | A220-300 |
| JetBlue Airways | 32″ | 18″ | A220-300 |
| Egyptair | 31″ | 18″ | A220-300 |
| airBaltic | 30-32″ | 18.5″ | A220-300 |
| Delta | 30-32″ | 18.1-18.6″ | A220-100/300 |
| Air Manas | 30-31″ | 18″ | A220-300 |
| Korean Air | 30-31″ | 18.5″ | A220-300 |
Best Embraer Economy Class Seats
Embracing the Embraer series, Contour Aviation, and JSX Air lead the way offering an impressive 36 inches of legroom on their ERJ 135/145.
| Embraer Economy Class Seats | |||
| Airlines | Legroom (inches) | Width (inches) | Aircraft Type |
| Contour Aviation | 36″ | 17-18″ | ERJ 135/145 |
| JSX Air | 36″ | 17″ | ERJ 135/145 |
| Alliance Airlines | 32-33″ | 18″ | E190 |
| Air Botswana | 32″ | 18″ | E170 |
| BA Cityflyer | 32″ | 18″ | E190 |
| Delta | 32″ | 18.3″ | E175 |
| JetBlue Airways | 32″ | 18″ | E190 |
| Lufthansa CityLine | 32″ | 18″ | E190 |
| Royal Air Maroc | 32″ | 17″ | E190 |
| SkyWest Airlines | 32″ | 18″ | E175 |
| Bamboo Airways | 31-34″ | 18″ | E190 |
| Jazz Air | 31-34″ | 18″ | E175 |
| Myanmar Airways International | 31-34″ | 18″ | E190 |
| German Airways | 31-33″ | 18″ | E190 |
| S7 Airlines | 31-33″ | 18″ | E170 |
| AeroMexico | 31-32″ | 18″ | E190 |
| Marathon Airlines | 31-32″ | 18″ | E190 |
| SAS Link | 31-32″ | 18″ | E195 |
Source: SeatMaps, Airlines Website