Study Reveals British Airways Tops List for Worst Airline Legroom Complaints

The perennial battle for space on board aircraft is escalating. A new airline seat pitch study has revealed which carriers draw the most cramped seating complaints. The surprising results show that a flag carrier tops the list. British Airways leads the ranking for worst airlines for legroom, according to a report by OddsMonkey.

The study analyzed nearly one million TripAdvisor reviews. Researchers focused on negative comments specifically mentioning "legroom." They looked at the 20 airlines carrying the most passengers across all UK reporting airports.

Key Findings: The Worst Airlines for Legroom

British Airways received the highest volume of British Airways legroom complaints. A staggering 52.6 percent of its legroom-related reviews were negative. This means more than half of passengers who mentioned the term complained about the space. One reviewer noted the seat was "so stiff and the legroom was non-existent."

Close behind was budget giant Ryanair at 51.4 percent. This result challenges the perception that low-cost carriers always have the worst airlines for legroom. Other major carriers also ranked poorly in the airline seat pitch study. United Airlines was at 47.2 percent. American Airlines followed at 43.8 percent. Air Canada reported 42.1 percent negative feedback.

The study showed a huge difference between the best and worst performers. SunExpress best legroom score was only 6.4 percent negative. This placed the carrier streets ahead of the rest. Jet2 also performed well, with only 12.0 percent of its legroom comments being negative. EasyJet, another major low-cost airline, scored 28.9 percent.

Industry Context and Regulation

Legroom is formally measured as 'seat pitch.' This is the distance from one point on a seat to the same point on the seat in front. The average economy class seat pitch is typically 30 to 31 inches. Some budget airlines offer as little as 28 inches. Premium economy often provides 34 to 38 inches of space.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) does not mandate a minimum seat pitch based on passenger comfort aviation. Current EU rules require an aircraft to be evacuated in under 90 seconds. The minimum seat pitch is indirectly set by this safety standard. EASA seat pitch regulation focuses on safe egress, not passenger experience.

The trend of "densification" continues across the industry. Airlines are installing thinner, lighter seats to fit more rows. This maximizes passenger capacity and profit. However, this often leads to more cramped seating complaints from flyers. The new year will see hundreds of thousands travel. Passengers hope to avoid the discomfort of "cramp class" on their next getaway. For more commercial aviation news, visit https://flying.flights.