Flying in economy class on a long-haul route is often a necessary sacrifice travellers make in order to afford a far-flung trip. But just thinking about spending hours in economy – with the cramped legroom, lack of recline, and crowded seating arrangements – is enough to send a shiver down any flier’s spine.
Fortunately, there are a handful of airlines that still offer decent space and comfortable seats on long-haul routes, even in their regular no-frills economy classes. Here, we’ve rounded up seven of the most comfortable economy seats available for long-haul flights, based on criteria like legroom pitch, recline depth, seat width, and the overall seating configuration of the economy cabin.
As these seats are still in regular economy, they don’t offer as much space as the more upscale products in premium economy cabins. The below selections may just have a few extra inches of space or recline over their competitors – but even an inch or two can make a world of difference on an hours-long flight, especially if you’re trying to sleep.
If you must fly coach on your next long-haul journey, these are the best economy seats on international flights. (Or, check out these affordable business-class cabins that won’t break the bank.)
JetBlue Airbus A321
The New York-based carrier is one of the top US airlines in terms of legroom. Its Airbus A321 long-range planes, used for its transatlantic routes to Europe, are no exception. In regular economy, called “Core” on JetBlue, expect to see 32 inches of pitch, 18 inches of width, and three inches of recline at your seat. You’ll also find a headrest with adjustable wings and power outlets (though not enough for every passenger to have their own charging port). On planes that also feature Mint business class, the Core cabin has 102 seats in a three-by-three layout, so the one drawback is a potential lack of elbow room as the A321 is just a single-aisle plane.
Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000
Much of the attention on board JAL’s new A350 plane, which debuted in January 2024, has been focused on its luxurious first and business class suites. But even the back of the plane offers fliers a respectable amount of comfort. In the regular economy cabin, seats offer about 34 inches of legroom pitch and more than 18 inches of seat width, making them one of the roomiest long-haul economy options on the market. Plus, in the fully upright position, the seats sit back at a deeper angle than standard economy seats – before you even engage the recline function, which also offers several more inches of tilt. Extra bells and whistles include a large 13-inch 4K entertainment screen, water bottle pouch and separate cupholder, power outlet and USB-A and -C charging ports. The only downside to the cabin is that the 155 seats in regular economy are laid out in a 3-3-3 configuration, which means more dreaded middle seats. But the rows are spaced far enough apart that economy passengers shouldn’t feel too cramped. You’ll find these jets operating nonstop routes from New York JFK and Dallas Fort Worth to Tokyo Haneda.
All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners
Another Japanese carrier that offers one of the best economy seats on international flights is All Nippon Airways. Its coach cabin, especially aboard its Boeing 797-9 Dreamliners that fly between Tokyo and Los Angeles, offers relatively spacious seats with 34 inches of legroom pitch and 17.3 inches of width. The seats also come with a built-in footrest – a rarity outside of premium economy – plus several inches of standard recline. Instead of the seat simply tilting back, however, the seat pan also slides forward so as not to intrude too much on the passenger behind, giving each flier a bit more space. The seats are in a 3-3-3 layout, so avoiding the tight middle seat could be tough; though extra features like universal PC power ports and USB ports at every seat, thick cushioning, and a headrest that adjusts up and down, should help ease the pain.