We fly a lot and so we have tried different levels of seating on different airlines. As we get older it is harder to fly longer distances. I’m sure the seats haven’t changed much but they sure seem harder than they used to be. And I do know this is true, there isn’t as much space between the seats as there used to be. Because of this we have started to upgrade our seats when we fly – especially on longer flights.
For those you who aren’t familiar with the differences in seating, this post is for you. Please note that different airlines have different names for their classes of seats as well as different amenities and level of service and so I am just going to give you a basic overview of seating options.
Seat Specifics
The first thing I want to talk about is pitch. Pitch is the distance between a row of seats (not exactly how much leg room you will have but a related measurement). The table below is showing the average pitch for several American based airlines. Again, remember that not all airlines or even all planes within the same airline will have all of these classes or these exact seat pitches.
|
Average Pitch in Inches for selected American airlines |
First |
Business |
Premium |
Economy |
|
Class |
Class |
Economy |
Class |
|
|
69.0 |
67.7 |
37.4 |
31.7 |
The table above came from https://www.airlinequality.com/info/seat-pitch-guide/. They also include this disclaimer on their site: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this table, the content is subject to change and we cannot guarantee its accuracy or currency (currency as in how up to date the information is, not how much each class will cost you).
Amenities
What amenities you can expect will vary from airline to airline. 
Budget airlines may not have different classes at all and very few free amenities. Upper tier airlines will usually offer more of everything. Below are some of the amenities that may be included in each of the classes:
Common First Class Amenities:
- Lounge access: this may have additional restrictions with some airlines because more people are now trying to get into lounges at the airport.
- Priority boarding: first class passengers usually get to board after some or all of these groups: people with disabilities, people with minors, active duty military to name a few.
- Premium seats: first class seats tend to be wider with significantly more leg room.
- Dining: first class passengers often have meals and beverages included that are served on better plate with non-plastic drinkware.
- Extra baggage allowance: some airlines will increase the number of bags included for free with the reservation.
- Seats towards the front of the plane: first class passengers sit in a separate section at the front of the plane.
- Deplaning before other passengers: because they are at the front of the plane, first class passengers get off the plane first.
Business Class
- Priority check-in, security, and boarding.
- Lounge access: again, this is changing so business class may not have lounge access included.
- Premium seats: usually larger than economy seats, with more legroom, and often wider.
- Business class: meals and premium drinks may be included
- Possible extra baggage allowance.
- Business class passengers may receive improved entertainment services.
- Priority baggage handling: their bags may get to baggage claim first.
Premium Economy Class
- Extra legroom than economy.
- Wider seats than economy.
- Priority boarding: usually boards after the above groups but before economy.
- Extra baggage: may be allowed to check an extra bag or have a higher weight limits.
- Higher standard of flight attendant care
Economy Class
- Food and drink: Some airlines offer free meals, snacks, and drinks in economy class.
- Entertainment: Many airlines offer in-flight entertainment options, such as movies, TV shows, and music.
- Some airlines may offer other amenities, such as water, snacks, and/or headphones.
Another amenity that can vary by airline and the age of the plane is seat power (AC or USB outlets for each seat). I like to keep my devices charged so seat power is one of the first things I look for after boarding a flight. When seat power was introduced, it started with first class and worked its way toward the back of the plane. Now most if not all classes on newer planes have seat power. You can usually see if your plane will have seat power by looking at the flight details and the plane you will be on.
Which seating options you choose often comes down to your budget and what you are willing to accept.