It’s all in the detail, so here is the low-down on how airlines measure their seats… SEATS WITH A SMALL RECLINE
SEATS WITH A LARGE RECLINE
RECLINE IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT if you are hoping for a decent night’s sleep. In economy class, airlines take the measurement in three ways, but we have opted to avoid giving the first measurement. 1. From horizontal to the furthermost recline 2. From vertical to the furthermost recline (given either in degrees or inches)
3. From the upright, take-off position of the seat to its furthermost recline
ECONOMY, PREMIUM ECONOMY OR SHORT- HAUL BUSINESS/FIRST STANDARD SEAT (ST)
IN BUSINESS AND FIRST CLASS, the options for reclining seats are broadly cradle-style (CS), angled lie-flat (AF) or fully-flat (FF). The measurement of the recline is taken in a number of ways – most controversially when it comes to angled lie-flat, which may sometimes be expressed as 180 degrees, the same as fully-flat beds. We think this can be misleading, so have clearly identified these seat types in the table of measurements for each airline.
CRADLE- STYLE (CS)
ANGLED LIE- FLAT (AF)
In premium economy, some carriers (such as Air France) are introducing fixed shell (FS) seats that recline into a hard plastic surround, not into the space of the person behind you. Others, such as Air New Zealand, have introduced premium economy seats without backs that recline at all, instead opting for a seat base that pivots upwards to give you the feeling of leaning backwards. These are called Space Seats (SPS).
FULLY-FLAT (FF)
SEAT WIDTH
SEAT WIDTH IS MEASURED (in inches) between the armrests when the seat is fully upright. The measurement is usually taken as the space between the armrests – so from the inside of one armrest to the inside of the other – or can be the seat cushion width or even the distance between the outside of the armrests. The optimum seat cushion width, based on passenger feedback, has been found to be about 20-21 inches (51-53cm).
SEAT PITCH
SEAT PITCH IS THE DISTANCE between the back of one seat and that of the seat in front, broadly regarded as legroom. For the fully-flat beds in business and first class, seat pitch is not really applicable, as there is usually a lot of space between seats and the only limiting factor is the length of the bed.
91 ENTERTAINMENT
AS IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT (IFE) SYSTEMS become more sophisticated and are upgraded from simple multichannel offerings to interactive systems that allow for AVOD (audio-video on-demand), economy passengers often benefit from the range of choices available as installation takes place throughout all cabins.