Photo Courtesy Delta
Delta's Economy Comfort is just one option for more room.
Years ago you could get extra legroom for free by asking for an exit-row or bulkhead seat. Now, you'll need these tips to get a little more space.
Now that most U.S. airlines have added dedicated extra-legroom sections to their economy-class cabins, you often have to pay up to get any legroom relief—unless you’re a very frequent flier.
Even so, there are ways to get better value out of the extra legroom you’re paying for, as airlines continue to one-up each other on benefits and experiment with different prices for a bit more space. Here are five tips for getting the very best seat for your money:
Know how much legroom you're getting
Regular economy tends to have 30-31 inches of legroom—you can check your exact aircraft on a site likeSeatGuru—while extra legroom seats start around 34 inches and range up to about 38 inches. Beware that bulkhead seats can be either very roomy or much tighter than you hope, and some paid extra legroom seats don’t recline at all. If you really want to dive into the details, search the forums on Flyertalk.com to find reports of recent experiences, or using this summary of options to narrow down choices. While Delta Air Lines charges just one price for all extra legroom seats on a given flight, American Airlines and United Airlines charge varying prices based on where the exact seat you're considering is located.
Regular economy tends to have 30-31 inches of legroom—you can check your exact aircraft on a site likeSeatGuru—while extra legroom seats start around 34 inches and range up to about 38 inches. Beware that bulkhead seats can be either very roomy or much tighter than you hope, and some paid extra legroom seats don’t recline at all. If you really want to dive into the details, search the forums on Flyertalk.com to find reports of recent experiences, or using this summary of options to narrow down choices. While Delta Air Lines charges just one price for all extra legroom seats on a given flight, American Airlines and United Airlines charge varying prices based on where the exact seat you're considering is located.
Get more than just extra legroom
Not all extra legroom options are created equal. On United, buying extra legroom means just that. But on American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, and Virgin America you’ll also get early boarding privileges. Delta and Virgin America also throw in free snacks and drinks, while JetBlue offers priority security screening. Spirit offers wider seats—similar to domestic first class on other airlines—with its extra-legroom option.
Not all extra legroom options are created equal. On United, buying extra legroom means just that. But on American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, and Virgin America you’ll also get early boarding privileges. Delta and Virgin America also throw in free snacks and drinks, while JetBlue offers priority security screening. Spirit offers wider seats—similar to domestic first class on other airlines—with its extra-legroom option.
Stick to nonstop flights.
Extra legroom prices are charged by flight, so you'll pay more for that seat with every additional connection. On some trips, that might make the nonstop flight less expensive overall, depending on how much the upgrade adds to the ticket price.
Extra legroom prices are charged by flight, so you'll pay more for that seat with every additional connection. On some trips, that might make the nonstop flight less expensive overall, depending on how much the upgrade adds to the ticket price.
Compare "all-in" prices across airlines
Don't forget to consider the cost of your fare plus an upgrade when comparing prices. For example, on a New York to London flight, Delta charges $79 each way for a Comfort Plus seat, American asks $136 for Main Cabin Extra, and United gets $139 for Economy Plus. Choosing the Delta flight would save you up to $120 roundtrip—or offset the difference between advertised base fares on competing carriers.
Don't forget to consider the cost of your fare plus an upgrade when comparing prices. For example, on a New York to London flight, Delta charges $79 each way for a Comfort Plus seat, American asks $136 for Main Cabin Extra, and United gets $139 for Economy Plus. Choosing the Delta flight would save you up to $120 roundtrip—or offset the difference between advertised base fares on competing carriers.
Unfortunately, most airlines don’t make it easy to check the prices of their extra-legroom seats, forcing to wait until you’ve entered your contact information before revealing the exact price of an upgrade. Spending a few extra minutes to uncover these details for a specific itinerary, though, might be worth the savings.
Consider first class
Fares for first class are more likely to be discounted today than they were even just a few years ago. On some routes, a first-class seat might end up costing just slightly more than an extra-legroom seat—and occasionally it might even be cheaper because of all the included extras like free checked bags. Even if you're booked in economy, airlines have started offering passengers the ability to pay cash to upgrade to first class. Peek at your reservation every so often before your trip to see if the option appears; sometimes, airlines will offer these upgrades at check in too.
Fares for first class are more likely to be discounted today than they were even just a few years ago. On some routes, a first-class seat might end up costing just slightly more than an extra-legroom seat—and occasionally it might even be cheaper because of all the included extras like free checked bags. Even if you're booked in economy, airlines have started offering passengers the ability to pay cash to upgrade to first class. Peek at your reservation every so often before your trip to see if the option appears; sometimes, airlines will offer these upgrades at check in too.
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