These Airlines Are Boosting Economy Class Legroom

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Flying in economy class is not exactly associated with comfort. Especially in recent years, the go-to strategy for most airlines has been to shrink coach passengers’ personal space to fit in more seats and make flights more profitable.

But, mercifully for budget travelers, that trend is beginning to show some signs of reversing. When it comes to their latest long-haul international economy cabins, a handful of airlines are actually increasing the amount of legroom allotted to passengers at the back of the plane.

“Airlines have realized what customers really want: comfort,” Anthony Harcup, founder and CEO of aviation interior design firm DeepBlue Studios, said recently on the Aircraft Interiors podcast . “If there’s anywhere where we really need to shake things up, it’s premium economy and economy. There’s been huge advances made in both in terms of comfort—the seats are much more lightweight, better sculpted, even the materials and technology is far better.”

One of the main impetuses for this is that newer planes are flying further, which means airline routes are getting longer. Smarter design allow airlines to give economy passengers a little more space and comfort on those extra long journeys without sacrificing efficiency. “That I think is the next frontier,” Harcup said. “You’ve got to start with comfort.”

Here are three airlines that are ahead of the curve when it comes to adding more legroom to seats in long-haul economy class.

All Nippon Airways’ new Boeing Dreamliner 787-

9 economy class

Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways is adding new economy seats across its long-haul fleet of Boeing 787-9 planes. “The new seats redefine passenger comfort, especially on long-haul flights,” according to an airline release. Passengers will especially appreciate the seat pitch of 33 to 34 inches, as well as a redesigned seat back that gives fliers an extra inch of space around the knees. These are some of the highest economy legroom specifications in the industry.

Elsewhere, the seats have better ergonomics and new conveniences, including an additional two inches of recline, AC power outlets, USB type A and C charging ports, and Bluetooth audio connectivity. The new seats will start rolling out on All Nippon Airways’ long-haul international routes in 2026, including those between Tokyo and Hawaii .

Swiss’s new ‘Swiss Senses’ economy cabin

In summer 2025, Zurich-based airline Swiss is launching a new cabin concept called “Swiss Senses” across its long-haul fleet, bringing redesigned cabins and new seats to first class, business, premium economy, and economy. At the back of the plane, passengers will have more room to stretch out. “The new SWISS Economy is equipped with comfortable and functional seats,” the airline notes on its site. “The optimized design allowed the seat pitch to be increased.” The new economy seats offer a pitch of up to 33 inches, an inch more than its current coach seats on its long-haul planes. Passengers can also cozy up with about an extra inch of seat width, for a total width of 19 inches, plus six inches of recline, USB charging ports, and Bluetooth audio connectivity. The Swiss Senses cabin will debut on the airline’s new Airbus A350 jet, eventually rolling out to its existing A330 and Boeing 777 planes.

Qantas Airways’ new Airbus A350-1000 economy cabin

Australian carrier Qantas is planning to take long-haul travel to the next level when it launches its “Project Sunrise” flights in 2027. The initiative will debut the first-ever nonstop flights from Sydney to London and New York on board its new Airbus A350-1000 jets. All told, the nonstop routes should save passengers about four hours in travel time, but they’ll certainly be logging more time aboard the plane, with flight times estimated to stretch as long as 22 hours .

With that kind of time on board, the airline is focused on upping the comfort quotient across all four of its cabins. Qantas says its A350-1000 economy cabin will offer its fleet's “most spacious seat pitch,” which will clock in at 33 inches. The seats will also be 18 inches wide, slightly roomier than seats on its other long-haul planes. Other conveniences in the new economy cabin include two USB-C charging ports per passenger, a 13.3-inch entertainment screen with Bluetooth audio connectivity, and an extra seat-back shelf for personal devices. Economy passengers also have access to a “wellbeing zone” at the front of the cabin where fliers can move around, grab refreshments from a self-serve pantry, and follow guided stretching exercises. The first of the 12 aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in mid-2026.

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