If you're flying from the UK this summer on a tight budget, you might still find comfort in an unexpected place: seat 29A on Ryanair's Boeing 737-Max 8200 aircraft. This single seat, located by an emergency exit with no passenger seats in front, offers virtually unlimited legroom, earning it the nickname 'budget business class'. One Flyertalk forum user described being randomly allocated 29A as a stroke of luck, praising the extra space.
However, not all seats are created equal. Seat 11A on Ryanair flights is notorious for having no window or a tiny one, despite being a window seat. Meanwhile, seats 33A to F are best avoided as they sit directly in front of the toilets, according to Seatlink ratings.
If you can't secure the coveted 29A, consider alternative airlines. A 2023 survey by Which? compared legroom and seat width among 12 short-haul carriers from the UK. Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, and KLM led with seat pitches of 31-32 inches, 29-33 inches, and 30-32 inches respectively. In contrast, Wizz Air and TUI offered only 28 inches of seat pitch, making for a snugger experience.
