U.S. Airlines With the Most (and Least) Comfortable Economy Class

If your last flight in economy class felt more cramped than you remember, it’s not your imagination. The average seat pitch — meaning the distance from the point on one seat to the same point on the seat in the next row — has shrunk by around 2 inches over the past few decades, as airlines try to squeeze in more seats and generate more revenue. While you could pony up for an extra-legroom seat or splurge for first class, sometimes the vacation budget doesn’t allow for it. But the good news it that not all coach seats — and amenities — are the same across U.S. airlines. We turned to a 2025 study from AirAdvisor, a company that helps passengers get compensation for flight disruptions, to find the U.S. airlines with the most comfortable economy class.

5. Hawaiian Airlines

To determine their rankings, AirAdvisor’s survey looked at five key comfort categories: seat comfort (average seat pitch and width), in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi availability, complimentary food and beverages, and comfort items (such as blankets and pillows).

The fifth-place finisher is good news for anyone with plans to travel to the Aloha State. While Hawaiian Airlines offers average legroom (31 inches) and seat width (17 to 18 inches), the airline provides free meals and snacks on flights from Hawaii to the mainland (and vice versa). Wide-body planes (such as the Airbus A330 and Boeing 787) feature seatback screens, while narrow-body Airbus A321s offer free streaming to your personal device. The airline is also rolling out high-speed Wi-Fi, which will soon be free for all passengers. (Hawaiian merged with Alaska Airlines in 2024, but for the time being, the two airlines plan to operate as separate brands.)

4. American Airlines

The world’s largest airline by fleet size, American Airlines landed at No. 4 in the rankings, but passengers should probably temper their expectations. With an average seat pitch between 30 and 32 inches, economy class on American is still considerably cramped compared with the legroom you’ll find on the world’s top airlines, such as Japan Airlines. 

American reserves its best economy-class experience for long-haul international flights, on which it offers passengers complimentary meals, blankets, and seatback entertainment. On domestic flights, those amenities are typically not available. And no matter which route you fly, there’s still a chance you’ll have to pay for Wi-Fi, as the carrier only recently started rolling out free Wi-Fi. (The process should be complete by the end of 2026.)  

3. United Airlines

Like American, United Airlines has started to offer fast, free Wi-Fi (though no word yet on what all aircraft with be reconfigurd). Its provider, Starlink, offers impressive speeds similar to what you’d find on the ground. In the meantime, the cost to connect starts at $8 for MileagePlus members and $10 for all other passengers. 

United falls a bit short when it comes to average seat width (up to 17.3 inches), and it provides industry-average legroom (30 to 31 inches). However, the airline is investing heavily in seatback entertainment and even offers Bluetooth connectivity on newer aircraft. Snacks and soft drinks — including AHA flavored sparking water and Illy coffee — are also free on flights over 300 miles.

2. JetBlue Airways

New York City-based JetBlue shines in one very important category: legroom. The carrier says it offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. carrier, with a minimum seat pitch of 32 inches. Some aircraft offer even more legroom (up to 34 inches). However, JetBlue might not hold on to its crown for long — it plans to introduce new first-class seats on shorter flights, which could come at the expense of its industry-leading legroom in coach, as reports suggest.

To its credit, though, JetBlue was the first U.S. airline to offer complimentary Wi-Fi, and every seat has a seatback screen with LiveTV. The airline also is known for its generous free drink and snack options, such as plantain chips, Biscoff cookies, Goldfish crackers, and Quaker granola bars.

1. Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines offers the most comfortable economy class in the U.S., according to AirAdvisor. While the airline’s average legroom is nothing to write home about, you’ll typically find more generous seat width on Delta. Seats are 17.2 to 18.5 inches wide, with the widest seats being found on newer Airbus A220 aircraft.

Most Delta flights offer fast, free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles members, and seatback screens are found on every aircraft type (save for Boeing 717s and those operated under its regional brand, Delta Connection). Soft drinks and snacks are complimentary on flights over 250 miles, while main cabin passengers on long-haul flights receive an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and complimentary beer, wine, and spirits. 

The Least Comfortable U.S. Airlines

Now that we’ve covered the best coach experience among U.S. airlines, you may be wondering which ones to avoid. Tied for last place were two ultra-low-cost carriers: Allegiant and Frontier. 

While those airlines offer rock-bottom fares, it comes at the expense of comfort. Seat pitch on both airlines is below average — as little as 28 inches — and there are no amenities like in-flight entertainment or free snacks and soft drinks. On a positive note, Frontier Airlines offers some of the industry’s widest seats on average.