Most comfortable economy class seat?

[Mattg]

What's the most comfortable airline seat you've sat in within an Economy Class cabin?

Personally I like the SQ 777 seats, and I found the Economy Plus (extra legroom seats) on the United 767 pretty good - both wide and with good legroom.

Perhaps the most comfortable Economy seat though was on an Air Chathams Convair 580 (sadly these have now been retired). It was still configured for the 1950s with tons of leg room. Very noisy, though!

 

[henrus]

What's the most comfortable airline seat you've sat in within an Economy Class cabin?

Love a good Jetstar A321 at 28" pitch

But on a serious note ANA configuring most of their international fleet with 34" is great because regardless of which seat you end up in the legroom is still great. JAL also has some good 787's in a 2-4-2 config with 33" but not all international aircraft are setup like that.

A couple of other notable mentions:

United's 777-300 the Economy Plus exit rows (At row 30) have about 2m of legroom (plus no slide on the door means even the window seat is good).

Air NZ's A320neos (which you find across the tasman) have the exit rows with a 38" seat pitch, this is the same as Qantas premium economy and about 2- 3inches more than most overwing exit rows. Air NZ's international configured A320neos and A321neos also feature the middle seat with an extra inch of width (a nice touch for those stuck in the middle).

Also kind of cheating but still economy class, the Air NZ skycouch is great for an economy product and on many routes you can get all three seats for a cheaper price than PE with the ability to sleep lie flat.

 

[flyingfan]

Domestically it'd have to be the first row of Y of some of QF's birds. So much legroom, it's like business without the huge pricetag. Internationally I try to avoid or block out memories of Y!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

In terms of standard seating… not requiring payment or status… AA’s MRTC (more room throughout coach) was pretty good, with everyone enjoying 34’ pitch.

Somehow BA’s e170/190 flights out of LCY manage to make themselves comfortable, despite the 30’ pitch. I’ve never had an issue with legroom.

 

[Mattg]

Love a good Jetstar A321 at 28" pitch

But on a serious note ANA configuring most of their international fleet with 34" is great because regardless of which seat you end up in the legroom is still great. JAL also has some good 787's in a 2-4-2 config with 33" but not all international aircraft are setup like that.

Oh, I'd forgotten about the JAL 787s! Yes, the 2-4-2 configuration combined with good legroom is excellent. Had a very comfortable flight from NRT-CDG on one of those planes some years ago.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Row 3 on VA 737 is hard to beat. Used to love 10A/C or 10J/K on the A330s. For legroom anyway...if you end up with the older birds I feel like the cushions have really collapsed and it's hard to remain comfortable.

 

[jakeseven7]

Best: Singapore (agree with Matt)

Worst: New Jetstar slim line / New ‘trial’ Virgin Australia slimline - both as hard as concrete

 

[JohnK]

Qantas 747 followed by A380. Surprise, surprise. The A330 is ok but had spare seat next to me. I don't remember a 777 that felt comfortable.

For domestic miss the 767s.

I'm not going look them up but Thai Air Asia and Nok Air feel very cramped.

 

[encryptededdy]

JAL's Sky Wider 2-4-2 787s or 3-3-3 777s

 

[Han]

I've always liked EK and SQ seats, decent sizes and always have good tech. Love the A380s with the extra storage compartment between you and the window so you could chuck a few things into it and free up your seat a little more.

 

[frodo]

Unfortunately not many of those A380 upper deck economy seats left, I liked row 71 in the SQ A380s before refurbishment

 

[JohnK]

I'd forgotten the A350 had fixed recline in economy. Legroom is OK, width is OK and I guess most won't recline further.

Just spent one of the most uncomfortable 2.5 hour flights I've had and there's another 8-9 hour flight to follow. I tried leaning back into seat and my lower back will not budge. I had to lean forward through entire flight.

 

[Forg]

I'd forgotten the A350 had fixed recline in economy. Legroom is OK, width is OK and I guess most won't recline further.

I dunno, every time I’ve been on any flight over about 2 hours the person in front of me has reclined, meaning I can no longer see the IFE screen … what you describe sounds like bliss!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'd forgotten the A350 had fixed recline in economy. Legroom is OK, width is OK and I guess most won't recline further.

Just spent one of the most uncomfortable 2.5 hour flights I've had and there's another 8-9 hour flight to follow. I tried leaning back into seat and my lower back will not budge. I had to lean forward through entire flight.

which airline for the a350? Thai’s have full recline.

 

[JohnK]

I dunno, every time I’ve been on any flight over about 2 hours the person in front of me has reclined, meaning I can no longer see the IFE screen … what you describe sounds like bliss!

The SIN-BNE flight just landed.

The dope in front reclined after meal service. No knee room. Couldn't stretch legs. Couldn't watch IFE. Playing games on my tablet facing the aisle as I had 2 inches between my face ad seat in front. And to make it worse the person in middle seat thought he was in his bed tossing and turning.

The dope that designed this garbage did not have non recliners in mind. Sad ruined my flight.

I never thought I'd say it but hope A330's return to this service.

 

[Forg]

The SIN-BNE flight just landed.

The dope in front reclined after meal service. No knee room. Couldn't stretch legs. Couldn't watch IFE. Playing games on my tablet facing the aisle as I had 2 inches between my face ad seat in front. And to make it worse the person in middle seat thought he was in his bed tossing and turning.

The dope that designed this garbage did not have non recliners in mind. Sad ruined my flight.

I never thought I'd say it but hope A330's return to this service.

My most recent international Y was indeed returning from SIN on a QF A332 red-eye … … I can’t sleep, I try but I failed yet again, and the LCD screen just couldn’t be adjusted to a viewing-angle where I could see it with the seat in front fully reclined. And of course there’s no room for a magazine with that recline; you can fit a book, but I didn’t have one of them.

I don’t travel enough to have the upgrade points to do it at minimal extra cost, but I’ve still decided that I’m not doing anywhere further than New Zealand in anything smaller than Y+. The distress is irrationally disproportionate to the situation, I don’t really understand why it bothers me so much, the pitch is usually enough that my knees aren’t copping the bruising they cop in domestic Y … it just pisses me off being trapped with nothing to do, yet at home I’m happy to sit around on my backside all day etc.

 

[OATEK]

In terms of standard seating… not requiring payment or status… AA’s MRTC (more room throughout coach) was pretty good, with everyone enjoying 34’ pitch.

Somehow BA’s e170/190 flights out of LCY manage to make themselves comfortable, despite the 30’ pitch. I’ve never had an issue with legroom.

I just want to add my vote for the BA E190s after two recent flights LCY-BER-LCY. The 2+2 config and heaps of leg room made the whole flight very comfortable.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Don’t know of any airline that has good seat pitch at the moment. maybe a Dash 8-400.
Previously
AirNZ 747s 34inch
Malaysian 777 34 inch
SQ longer range 777s 33 inch
Ansett A320s 32 inch

If Qantas next CEO is a tall person maybe Qantas will look at slightly better pitch even if it was in the first few rows for your Golds and Platinums.

 

[jb747]

If Qantas next CEO is a tall person maybe Qantas will look at slightly better pitch even if it was in the first few rows for your Golds and Platinums.

Thanks for the morning laugh.

Flew PE with QF on the 380 to the USA. People in front reclined their seats to the max, and left them there for the entire flight. Yuk.

 

[Scarlett]

Is the thread title an oxymoron?

I guess any seat is comfortable enough up to 2 hours. After that, whY?