Consumer experts have highlighted a booking trick that could give Ryanair and easyJet passengers more legroom without paying extra, but it only applies on certain aircraft types and specific rows. The advice, shared by Which? in an Instagram post, is simple: "Want more legroom on a flight? Just sit on the right."
Which seats offer more space?
For Ryanair, Which? says most aircraft are Boeing 737s, and passengers usually get the best legroom by choosing seats D, E or F in rows 3 to 15. EasyJet flyers on the Airbus A321neo are advised to pick D, E or F in rows 3 to 13, which can provide an extra inch of legroom compared with sitting in rows 6 to 17 on the left-hand side.
The cost of picking your own seat depends on route and demand, typically ranging from £8 to £38 per flight, meaning a "free" bit of extra space is worth hunting for if you can.
Check your aircraft before booking
There's a catch, though. As layouts vary, this only works if the aircraft model and seating configuration match the tip. It's not a magic hack for every single flight — you need to check what plane you're actually booked on.
Which? says one way to do that is by using your flight number and looking it up online. "Just head to Google Flights and type your destination and dates in to find the model number. Then use Seat Plan Experts Aeroloper to find your aircraft configuration." If you'd rather stick to official information, you can also log into your airline app or account and go to the seat selection page, where the aircraft name is usually shown at the top of the seating map.
