This is the one thing you should do when booking a flight to score the perfect seat with loads of legroom – and hardly anybody does it
- Travellers should check the aircraft type
- Space and amenities differ between models
Travellers are being encouraged to always check what type of aircraft they will be flying in before booking a flight.
Each plane model has different cabin layouts even in the same class and varying in-flight amenities.
Some airplanes will have less leg room, not as much space under the seat in front to store bags and no in-flight entertainment.
Flyers who only take carry-on luggage can avoid getting their bag checked in at the last minute at the gate with the little-known hack as the aircraft type will also determine how much space there is in the overhead lockers.
Most airlines will include the airplane model on its reservation page under ‘flight details’ and the specs and seating map of each plane in its fleet on the website.
To get the perfect seat on a flight, travellers should always check the aircraft type before booking. Each model has different sized seats, overhead lockers and in-flight entertainment
There are many things to consider when determining which aircraft will ensure you a more comfortable flight.
Seat pitch, which is the measurement of the space between a chair and the one in front, will vary from plane to plane but a good distance is considered to be between 30 and 31 inches or 76 to 78cm in economy class.
Larger airplanes will have a more spacious seat pitch so the higher the number, the more legroom passengers will have.
Passengers who opt for carry-on luggage only to avoid waiting at baggage claim and have a speedy exit will want to know if their plane is big enough to fit everyone’s bags in the overhead bins.
Full flights on smaller aircrafts will have limited space to store items in the overhead lockers so cabin crew will sometimes ask passengers to check larger carry-on bags free of charge.
While it frees up room in the cabin, flyers who have their bag taken from them will either have to collect it at baggage claim after the flight or at the gate when they land.
The trick to avoid carry-on being check is to simply book a flight on a larger plane model.
In-flight entertainment and WiFi options will differ too so it’s best to know what’s being offered on a flight so you can download movies, TV shows or podcasts ahead of time.
Some planes will offer streaming services travellers can access on their own device while others will have free WiFi and longer haul flights often have in-built seat screens with a library of movies, TV programs and music.
Passengers should look for aircrafts with a seat pitch between 30-31 inches as this means they will have more leg room
Qantas customers can find the space and amenities on the plane they are flying on in the flight information link on the reservation page.
The flight information includes the aircraft type, meal and beverage options, entertainment offered, seat pitch, outlets to charge your phone and a link to the seating map.
There is even more information provided about the features on each of the airline’s planes on the Fleet page.
On Virgin Australia and Jetstar’s reservation page customers can see the type of aircraft for each flight but will have to head to the Our fleet or the Group Fleet pages on the website to see more details about the plane specifications.
SeatGuru by Tripadvisor provides detailed information about each airline’s lane models including the pitch, width and type of each seat, and if there entertainment screens, laptop power and WiFi are provided.