Breaking Down U.S. Domestic Airlines By Coach Seat Size and Fees

Passengers looking for a domestic flight with extra legroom in coach at no extra charge should probably consider flying Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines or JetBlue when practical because these carriers have the most daily flights with seats that have seat pitch of 32 inches or greater. Overall, although it is little-known, 13% of U.S. domestic flights have such roomier than normal seats for free in regular economy with 32 inches from a point on one seat to the seat in front of it. And, that's enough space to break out a 13-inch laptop and get some work done, or play, even if the passenger in the seat in front decides to put that seat in a reclining position. These tallies and perspectives come in a new report, "Size Matters: Finding the Best Seats in the Sky," from Routehappy, a flight-search startup that features passengers rating aircraft, seats, and amenities, from in-flight enterainment and Wi-Fi to meals and service. The following table details Routehappy's findings that Southwest has the most daily flights (996) with roomy seats for free, followed by Alaska (752), and JetBlue (582). Routehappy defines roomy seats as those having a pitch of 32 inches or greater, while standard pitch is a relatively cramped 31 inches.