Ways to Find More Leg Room Even in Economy Class When Flying

Economy class is known for being the place on an airplane where your legs are going to cramp, and you may end up getting too close for comfort with a total stranger. We fly economy class because of the lower costs, of course. Ultimately, these savings are worth a couple of hours of discomfort; at least, that’s the hope. Here are a couple of tips, though, to find more room in economy class. These may not apply to every flight, but they could affect the type of trips that you’ll look for going forward.

Flying Odd/ Seasonal Routes

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If you’re flying a very popular route that typically has full planes going both ways, extra legroom is going to be hard to come by. One of the great things about seasonal routes is that a lot of people don’t know that they exist. That means that fewer people buy tickets, and that makes it more likely that you won’t have people sitting next to you on the flight. By the way, this idea of empty planes is generally what will get you more room to stretch out in economy.

Mid-Week Flights

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Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the days you want to fly if you want the plane to be empty, especially in economy. Most of the people that travel on these days do so for business. That means that it’s also more likely for the business class cabin to be full. It’s okay if the seats at the front of the plane are full, though. That doesn’t affect the seats at the back of the plane at all!

The Aisle or Window Seat Gamble

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Speaking of the seats at the back of the plane, here’s a bet that you can make if you want to have more room in economy. First of all, follow the aforementioned steps. This will give you a better chance to win your bet. Then, pick the window or the aisle seat in a row near the back of the plane. On an empty plane, the middle seats are usually the last ones to fill up. Also, people tend to want to sit in the middle or near the front of the aircraft. At the very least, in a row of three, you’ll have a good chance that you and your companion will have more room with an empty middle seat.

Download the Airline App

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Another thing that you can do if you think that the plane won’t be as full is wait until the last minute to pick a seat. To do that, you’ll have to download the airline app and make sure that you know exactly how long before the flight you’re allowed to alter your reservation. Most airlines are more than happy to let you pick add-ons from their app, like a designated seat you’re paying extra for, all the way up to almost departure time. This is also a good way to monitor how empty the plane’s going to be hours before you get on the flight. If you look at the app and see that there are still many seats that you can pick out, you’re probably in a good spot.

Talk to Attendants at the Counter

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Image Credit: Shutterstock / PeopleImages.com – Yuri A

This old, reliable trick is still one of the best ways to ensure that you won’t have to sit between two total strangers on your long-haul flight. Get to the counter and talk to the attendants. Most of them are very happy to spill the beans on the upcoming flight. Who knows, if you’re nice to them, they may even bump you up to business class! The least they can do is let you know where to sit to avoid the already crowded rows.

Mario Perez

Author: Mario Perez

Bio:

Mario is a seasoned journalist who’s worked with multiple publications over the years. He has a passion for looking for that story within the story itself. When he’s not actively looking for breaking news, he enjoys playing and watching sports.

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