How much leg room do you get on an Asian budget airline?
As the region’s low cost carriers slug it out we check out the details to see which airline offers the biggest leg room, the widest seats and more. As the battle continues to lump more passengers into an aircraft it is wise to check-out that you are not short changed the next time you book a cheap flight on one of these so called budget airlines.
Well, it’s time to whip out the measuring tape and get to the bottom of things. How wide is your seat really? How much footsie space do you have in front of you? Does your seat actually recline or must you travel in the brace position all the way to Tokyo? Finally, our Asian budget airline economy class seat survey with all those niggling details.
Airline Seat Pitch
Airline Seat Pitch details (inches) are shown for medium/long haul flights. Seat Pitch is the distance between a row of seats – the measurement from the same position on two seats, one behind the other – it is not the actual leg room area, but it gives you the best measurement for your leg room.
Dimensions represent typical seat pitch offered by an airline on international flights – this may not be available on all of an airline’s fleet of aircraft.
Here is how the region’s low cost carriers stack up (in inches unless otherwise indicated):
| Airline | Seat Pitch | Seat Width | Seat Recline | PTV |
| AirAsia | 29″ | 17.17″ | 98.7° | No |
| A320-200 | ||||
| AirAsia X | ||||
| A330-301 | 31-33″ | 16.33″ | 115° | No |
| A330-343 | 31-33″ | 16.33″ | 115° | No |
| A340-313 | 31-32″ | 16.33″ | 115° | No |
| Asiana Airline | ||||
| A321-200 | 32″ | 17.8″ | 108° | Yes |
| B737-400 | 33″ | 17.2″ | 108° | Yes |
| B747-400 | 34″ | 17.2″ | 108° | Yes |
| B767-400 | 33″ | 18″ | 108° | Yes |
| B777-200 | 34″ | 17.7″ | 108° | Yes |
| A330-300 | 34″ | 17.7″ | 108° | Yes |
| Cathay Dragon (Dragon Air) | ||||
| A320 | 29-30″ | 17.5″ | 5″ | No |
| A330 Type 1 | 31-32″ | 18″ | 105° | No |
| A330 Type 2+3 | 31-33″ | 18″ | 116° | 6.5″ |
| A330 Type 4 | 32″ | 17.82″ | 4″ | No |
| Jetstar | ||||
| A320 | 30″ | 17.9″ | 4″ | No |
| A330-200 | 31″ | 17.5″ | 5″ | No |
| SilkAir | ||||
| A320-200 | 30-31″ | 18″ | 110.61° | Drop-down |
| screen/10.4″ | ||||
| V Australia | 32″ | 18.86″ | 6″ | Yes |
| B777-300ER | ||||
As can be seen above, Asiana Airlines (us.flyasiana.com) tops for leg room with their B747-400s, B777-200s and the A330-300s stretching to 34 inches of leg room. PTVs (Personal TV) are also included in their seats!
As for seat width, their B767-400 ties with Cathay Dragon (A330 Types 1,2 and 3) , SilkAir’s A320-200 while V Australia’s B777-300ER goes even (slightly) wider at 18.86″.
So for those of you with the longest legs, going for Asiana Airline would be the safest bet while those who yearn for wider seats should stick to V Australia’s B777-300ER or Cathay Dragon’s A330 (Types 2 & 3).
Here is to enjoying your next flight on one of the many budget airlines in Asia!
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