When we scoured the seating plans of popular airlines we found that some have removed front storage lockers to squeeze in another row of paying passengers on one side of the plane.
The result is that seats towards the front of the plane aren't actually the same size, with those on on the right (seats D, E and F) often offering between an extra half-inch to inch of legroom versus those on the left.
Many of these seats are standard seats, so you may be randomly assigned them for free – and, if not, they will be the cheapest category of seats to purchase.
Read on to see where this hack works and other tips for upgrading your seat.
This advice was first printed in Which? Travel. Get more inside tips and unbiased advice:How to get a better seat with Ryanair
Almost all of Ryanair’s planes are Boeing 737s. AeroLOPA’s seat plans show that seats D, E and F in rows 3-15 are the roomiest standard seats on the plane in both possible configurations. That means an extra half-inch of legroom versus other standard seats.
Wait to see if you’re randomly assigned these seats for free – and, if not, it costs as little as £9 to pick one.
But that’s not the only way to upgrade your seat. Checking in late could get you out of the dreaded middle seat.
Those who don’t pay to pick a seat can check in from 24 hours to two hours before departure. The theory goes that the least desirable middle seats are allocated first because the airlines hope customers will change their minds and pay to upgrade.
The longer you wait, the more likely it is that aisle and window seats will open up.
Get unbiased advice and more tricks to get the best deals with our freeHow to get more legroom with EasyJet
If you’re flying on the Airbus A321neo - one of easyJet’s newest planes - choose the right-hand seats (D, E and F) near the front (rows 3-13) for a 29-inch seat pitch.
EasyJet told us you’ll get a full inch more than on the left (rows 6-17 ABC) or at the back of the plane (rows 30-40), which both offer a knee-grazing 28 inches.
EasyJet uses these planes on routes flying to Tenerife and Lanzarote from Gatwick, among others.
You can check in with easyJet from 30 days up to two hours before departure. If you’re not randomly allocated a standard seat on the right, you can pay as little as £6.50 to pick one.
How to get more legroom with Norwegian
Which? Recommended Provider for short-haul flights, Norwegian, also has some asymmetric cabins, offering extra space if you choose wisely.
Its Boeing 737 has three different configurations, and on two of those layouts the front (rows 3-14) right (DEF) have an extra 0.6 inches of leg space.
But on the third configuration, the left-hand seats are bigger – so it really pays to check the plans before you select a seat.
How to get more legroom with British Airways
Many aircraft taper towards the tail with fewer seats in the row. On BA’s most common long-haul plane, the Boeing 777, that means the back rows are in pairs – perfect for couples.
But on most configurations of BA’s main short-haul plane, the Airbus A320, tail tapering leads to an inch less legroom at the back. If you can, avoid row 30 and its tight 28-inch seat pitch.
One way to guarantee extra legroom on BA is to upgrade to Premium Economy. But our research has found it’s not worth it. The service, which includes priority boarding and ‘better’ food, as well as seven inches extra legroom, only received a 57% customer score in our latest survey.
And it’s expensive. When we checked three long-haul flights this autumn, the average cost to upgrade was £1,032. Fly Economy and pick a leg-swinging front-row seat instead, and you’ll only pay just £161 more on average.
How to get a better seat with Wizz Air
The ‘sit on the right’ trick doesn’t work with Wizz Air. But checking in late for your randomly allocated seat could work. It should mean you have more chance of getting a coveted window or aisle seat.
Don’t leave it too late though. Wizz Air’s online check-in closes an hour earlier than Ryanair’s. It's open until three hours before your departure time.
Don’t forget the 'cancel and rebook' trick
Even if you’ve checked in and pre-selected a seat, most airlines allow you to change your mind up until the seat map is locked around two or three hours before departure.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/get-a-better-seat-with-ryanair-and-easyjet-a569H7G10Gmn