Airline seating began as an afterthought. Back in the 1920s, passengers sat in wicker armchairs, rugged up against the cold, while during the jazz age of the 1930s, flying flirted with luxury.
Photographs from the era show elegant couples reclining in upholstered armchairs, cigarettes dangling, gin in dapper hands.
They radiated “success”, but the price of air travel was stratospheric and airlines began to realise their future lay in catering to the masses, and that meant packing more bodies into the fuselage.
Cocktails in the smoking lounge, the only way to fly – back in the 1930s aboard an Imperial Airways Empire boat passenger plane.Credit: Alamy
The Douglas DC-3 of the 1930s ushered in a new age of practicality. Wicker gave way to aluminium, and a formula was born.
Today those well-padded lounge chairs have been whittled down to slim-line slivers of Kevlar, foam and fabric, and they feel tighter.
Vintage va-va-voom.Credit: Getty Images
In the 1960s heyday of the Boeing 707, the distance between the back of your seat and the back of the seat in front was a generous 86 centimetres. Today you’re more likely to get 79cm.
There is also the passenger-load factor. Airlines have gotten a lot better at filling seats. Flying economy with an empty seat alongside you is rare today, and a full plane creates the impression you’re squished into a smaller seat. And while the width of the economy seat has stayed at about 43 centimetres for decades, our hips have not.
At the pointy end of the plane, business seats aboard a legacy carrier such as Qantas, Singapore Airlines or Emirates outclass the first-class seats of 20 years ago.
Fly long-haul business and your seat probably converts to a lie-flat bed, you get a large video screen, noise-cancelling headphones, flexible lighting options and privacy screens.
Here’s Traveller’s A to Z on everything we all should know about this integral, yet continuously contentious, feature of 21st-century travel.
A is for armrest
Etiquette dictates middle-seat passengers get both armrests.Credit: iStock
Since this support on either side of an aircraft seat is squashed between two bodies, the middle-seat passenger has the unspoken right to occupy the armrests on either side. But without too much fuss it’s possible for armrests to accommodate more than one elbow. For passengers seated in the middle and window seats, it’s easier to move if you flip the armrests up when exiting the aircraft. The armrest closest to the aisle may look fixed, but there’s usually a secret button underneath that allows it to be raised.
B is for bulkhead seats
These are the seats immediately behind the bulkhead, which separates one cabin from the next. Airlines often charge extra for these seats since they have greater legroom, but there are a few downsides. Since there’s no seat in front, and no storage pouch, anything larger than a book or a tablet must be stowed in the overhead locker for take-off and landings. Ditto the entertainment screen. It’s in the armrest and not to be deployed until the “fasten seatbelt” sign turns off. Infants might be seated in the same row, since the bassinet fixings are on the bulkhead wall.
C is for connectivity
Wi-Fi connectivity has almost become a basic human right, and now even the aircraft cabin has been breached. In-flight Wi-Fi is available on most premier airlines, usually as a time-based, user-pays system, but often free to business and first-class flyers and also to members of the airline’s loyalty program. Free Wi-Fi is available on selected Qantas flights aboard A330-200D, B737-800 and A220-300 aircraft to destinations including Singapore, Bali and Jakarta, however coverage may be limited to flights over the Australian mainland. Airline Wi-Fi is slower than what you’re probably used to, and it’s unlikely you’ll be streaming video or gaming, but the data speed is fine for email, sending messages and web browsing.
D is for double-decker seats
An artist’s impression of Zephyr Aerospace double-decker seating.
A radical seating arrangement that increases passenger density by stacking seats in two tiers. While this might be an engaging prospect for airline revenue managers, safety concerns have so far ensured this idea has not got beyond the drawing board. Pray it never does.
E is for exit-row seat
The prized possie for long-legged flyers. In an economy-class cabin, those seats in the exit rows have about 18 centimetres more legroom than standard seats in the rest of the cabin. They command a premium price, but even on a short flight the comfort factor is magnified. Anyone over the age of about 15 can book an exit seat, but passengers sitting in those seats must be physically able and willing to assist other passengers in the event of an emergency.
F is for a flightmare seat
That toddler with the pneumatic leg who keeps pounding the back of your seat; the person behind who doesn’t get the concept of a touchscreen and plays Woody Woodpecker with the entertainment screen – that’s a flightmare seat. It’s the economy-class flight when everything goes wrong, but guess what – everyone loves hearing about it. Along with third-degree sunburn from falling asleep on the deck of your Maldives overwater bungalow, a flightmare trip can win sympathy and drinks at the bar.
G is for galley seat
Sitting near the galley has its disadvantages.Credit: iStock
Close to the galley is not where you want to be. It’s busy and noisy with lots of traffic. Worst of all, you’re first to detect the aromas of warm food and probably the last to get your meal, since the food trolleys emerge from the galley and rumble off to nether regions of the cabin to begin service.
H is for herringbone configuration
Air New Zealand’s Business Premier cabin has a herringbone design.
Sometimes found in business-class cabins, this is a seating configuration in which all seats are angled towards the aisles. The payoff is easier aisle access and greater privacy, since there’s less chance of having to watch your seat buddy eat or drool while sleeping. On the downside, storage space is limited and angled seats have less legroom when converted to lie-flat mode. In reverse herringbone, the window seats are angled towards the window while the centre-cabin seats face inwards.
I is for in-flight entertainment
Long-haul saviour … the seatback screen.
That’s the seat-back screen that distracts you from the horrors of a long-haul economy flight with movies, TV shows, music and games. If you’re flying aboard an Asia-based carrier, and you don’t speak an Asian language, you might find yourself with a limited choice of English-language movies, although kung-fu flicks and Bollywood blockbusters don’t need much dialogue. And preferable to an el cheapo flight with no screen at all.
J is for jump seat
A seat in the cockpit reserved for airline employees, often flight crew who are “deadheading” (relocating to another airport for work purposes), but it can also be allocated to crew on leisure travel. Unless you are an airline employee you will never get to fly in a jump seat, although Frank Abagnale, a notorious American conman, used fake pilot’s credentials to fly more than a million miles in jump seats during the 1960s.
K is for knee defender
Many airlines banned the knee defender.
These ill-fated little rubber wedges appeared more than a decade ago to prevent the passenger in front reclining their seat. Insert the knee defender into the tray table to ensure no chance of an in-your-face seat back. While that might sound tempting, the idea never really took off. Passengers forced to sit bolt upright certainly didn’t think so, and neither did airlines. After fisticuffs and thrown drinks at 35,000 feet, airlines said “no”.
L is for lie-flat seat
An Etihad first-class lie-flat seat.
A synonym for bliss. Found only in business and first-class, this is a seat that reclines to 180 degrees, ensuring a decent sleeping position. While lie-flat seating has become the default mode in business class for premier airlines operating long-haul routes, a couple such as Finnair are going with couch-style seats that don’t recline, which has massively divided opinion. Tall passengers should be aware of tapering footwells that reduce stretch-room when the seat is fully reclined.
M is for middle seat
Middle-seat blues.Credit: Getty Images
Feared by most, and unless you’re travelling with a partner, usually the least desirable seat in a row. If it’s a short flight, grit your teeth and bear it, but if it’s anything longer than a couple of hours you’re only here because of lack of foresight. Lock in your seat selection when you make your flight booking, even if you have to pay a little more. You won’t regret it.
N is for noise-cancelling headphones
High-quality headphones that reduce cabin noise to a whisper, sometimes available for business and first-class flyers aboard premier carriers. Noise-cancelling headphones enhance the audio signal from the in-flight entertainment system. When resting, they signal “do not disturb” and provide a more gentle in-flight experience. Some carriers, such as the German Lufthansa, have taken the game to the next level with wireless noise-cancelling headphones in business class.
O is for overhead luggage compartment
You’re entitled to a small part of that overhead real estate, but get in quick. Air travellers are less trusting of airlines’ ability to handle their checked luggage and more inclined to pack everything into carry-ons. That puts a strain on the space available in the overhead bins, and passengers who board late might struggle to stow their luggage.
P is for premium economy
More comfort, lower price tag… Emirates Premium Economy.
A decent step-up in comfort from an economy class seat without the ridiculous price of business class. You’ll pay between 50-150 per cent more for a seat in the PE cabin, and what you get is greater legroom, a seat that tilts further, probably a greater baggage allowance, but only marginally better food and beverage than economy passengers if at all, and likely no dedicated toilet. There’s also the benefit of priority boarding, but only a couple of airlines – take a bow, Japan Airlines – allow PE passengers to invade their business-class lounges.
Q is for quiet zone
Scoot offers a dedicated quiet zone.
An area of the cabin, or even a separate cabin, where children below a certain age are not allowed. Singapore’s Scoot has a “Scoot-in-Silence” cabin at the front of the airline’s Boeing 787s, exclusive for 12 years and over, with slightly greater seat pitch than in Scoot’s standard economy seats. AirAsia X flights also have a quiet zone on selected flights aboard its Airbus A330s, where children under 10 are not seated.
R is for recline
A never-ending source of dispute and discomfort. Airline seats are made to recline, with most passengers finding a reclined seat more comfortable, and they have every right to hit that button. But there are times when it’s either forbidden or just rude. During take-off and landing the seat must be in the upright position, that’s a rule, and during meal service a reclined seat creates a problem for the passenger seated behind. If that happens, best not to shake the seat in front. Notify the aircrew and let them sort it.
S is for saddle seats
SkyRider saddle seat design prototype.Credit: Aviointeriors
Airlines are always on the lookout for new ways to squeeze more bums on seats since that equals more revenue. One concept that occasionally raises its ugly head is saddle-style seating, with minimal padding that sits the passenger bolt upright and with zero recline. The real crunch, though, is the seat pitch – a mere 58 centimetres. Ouch. Tray table? You must be joking. A close relation is the bicycle seat, backless butt-biters that promise to ramp up the agony factor to excruciating levels. And better hope there’s no turbulence, ladies and gentlemen.
T is for tray table
Antibacterial wipes can help remove germs from your tray table.Credit: iStock
Essential for eating, working, balancing laptops and propping up a book. If you’re fussed about the previous passenger’s dining habits, you might want to get to work with an antibacterial wipe. In seats where the tray table is located in the armrest, such as bulkhead seats, the seat width is slightly reduced.
U is for unbundled seating
Paying extra for your in-flight meal, your checked luggage and saying sayonara to loyalty points? You’re travelling unbundled. In the air travel context, unbundling signifies a bare-bones flight. You’re guaranteed a seat, and anything else comes with an add-on cost. Unbundling makes perfect sense to airlines since the fees they earn from checked baggage, meals, priority check-in and other ancillary services are the reason that many of them fly.
V is for ventilation nozzles
Adjustable air vents.Credit: Getty Images
These are the overhead vents that you twist to control the direction and flow from the aircraft’s air-conditioning system. Cabin air circulates and is sucked out through another vent, usually located where the wall meets the cabin floor. Every couple of minutes that air is recirculated after passing through HEPA air filters, densely woven fibre mats designed to trap particles as small as a virus. Experts agree that the air in an aircraft cabin, contrary perhaps to conventional wisdom, is a lot safer than what you inhale in a pub, a theatre, on public transport or at a party.
W is for width
Seat width that is, not you, although girth has an impact on comfort. Wide-body, twin-engine aircraft doing the bulk of the work on long-haul routes were designed to seat eight passengers per row in economy. Most of these aircraft are now configured with nine seats across, and that means narrower seats. Even aboard premier carriers such as Emirates and Singapore Airlines, economy-class seats can be as narrow as 43 centimetres. That’s the same as the seat width on a Ryanair flight, the airline which sets the pace for airline cost efficiency and passenger discomfort.
X is for X-seats
Virgin Australia economy X class with extra legroom seats.
Economy X is Virgin Australia’s name for its exit-row and bulkhead seats. These seats have extra legroom and attract a higher price. Despite the oodles of extra legroom they offer, the usual strictures apply to the bulkhead seats (see above). Aboard the airline’s Boeing 737-800s the Economy X seats in row three are behind business class, and the middle seats in that row are behind the centre console of the business class seats in front, meaning less legroom and no seat pocket.
Y is for the letter for your fare
“Y” is the standard airline code for a full-fare economy ticket. It’s one of the letters that forms a fare basis code, a short combination of letters and numbers that tells you everything you need to know about your airline ticket, including how much it costs and the rules around that fare. Other economy-class initials such as K, Q and X might denote privileges such as checked luggage, seat selection and meal service have been sacrificed in return for a lower fare.
Z is for zone boarding
Your boarding pass includes which boarding ‘zone’ you’re in.Credit: Getty Images
Seat rows are nowadays often grouped into zones, and called for boarding accordingly. The idea is those passengers in zones at the rear of the aircraft board first, so they don’t have to wait until passengers further up the aircraft are seated. Zone boarding is usually enforced at the gate, although often not rigorously, as some passengers are determined to board early regardless of where they’re seated. When it’s adhered to it means faster and more orderly boarding, when not it’s the usual chaos.
Chair leaders: The evolution of the airline seat
1919 British airline Handley Page Transport becomes the first airline to install fixed passenger seats.
1930s Seatbelts become common, often made from thick leather, and seats are more plush and colourful.
1935 On its long-distance flights, the Pan Am Martin M-130 clipper provides curtained bunk beds for up to 30 passengers in 10-berth compartments.
1955 Trans World Airlines (TWA) is the first airline to introduce a distinct premium first class.
1961 Trans World becomes the first airline to introduce in-flight movies, shown on a pull-down-screen at the front of the cabin.
1973 Seat back tray tables made their appearance.
1978 British Airways introduces business class with a separate cabin.
1988 Northwest Airlines’ Airvision System introduces the first seat-back in-flight entertainment system, only available in business class.
2008 Emirates becomes the first airline to offer a shower in first-class suites, with two “shower spas” available for first-class passengers on its Airbus A380.
2017 Delta Air Lines introduces the Delta One Suite on its Airbus A350, becoming the first to offer fully enclosed suites in business class, featuring sliding doors, lie-flat beds and direct aisle access from every seat.