Consider comfort as well as cost when you choose an airline, writes Belinda Beresford
Legs all the way up to heaven may be considered desirable in some quarters, but they are a definite problem when it comes to flying. Cramped legroom ranks up there with the lousy food and disgusting toilets in economy class.
Given that there is often not that much difference in ticket prices, you may want to consider comfort if you’re going to be in the air for 12 hours.
The subjective view from “cattle class” flyers is that seats are getting smaller. Some six-footers have horrible memories of not being able to sit straight on flights. And the problem is exacerbated when the person in front leans back their seat – especially if you are the unfortunate in the back row with a non-reclining seat.
The crucial measurement for lanky people is seat pitch – the distance between a point on one seat and the same point on the pew in front. On average this is about 80cm. For the more padded among us, the important measurement is seat width.
Charter flights are notorious for cramming in extra seats to accommodate extra bodies, but on regular flights airlines deny they put in extra seats at peak times such as the sardine run between South Africa and the United Kingdom towards year-end.
A quick poll among airlines flying from Johannesburg showed the national carrier leading the way on seat pitch. South African Airways (SAA) offers 86cm on most of its economy flights, although this can shrink to 80cm on some airplanes. Austrian Airlines offers 81cm seat pitch in economy seats, and a width of 42cm. Virgin Atlantic offers “comfortable seats with up to 80cm pitch” in economy, while British Airways gives 79cm.
But size is not everything. Seat design is a major factor when it comes to comfort. – it’s no good having lots of legroom if the seat is awkward.
According to one aeronautical engineer, airlines have cut their seat pitch over the years and compensated for it by altering the design, for example by directing people’s knees downwards instead of horizontally.
But it is possible to travel in comfort if you have the means and the will to pay. The route between South Africa and Europe is very profitable, largely because of the non-economy passengers. The real money lies in the costlier seats: club, upper, first, business, grand or premium.
Virgin Upper Class seats have 150cm pitch, which the airline claims is 10% to 20% more than “leading competitors”. BA offers private cabins in its first class, with 127cm pitch “cradle seats” in its equivalent of business class, and Austrian Airlines offers 120cm and 71cm wide seats.
One of the few entertaining moments in airtravel is listening to fellow travellers trying to achieve the holy grail of flying – free upgrading. Tactics range from pleading to hectoring to, “I know your boss” or, “I tried to book business class but …”
Generally airlines have the same attitude as Virgin Atlantic – would-be upgraders should pay-up. Upgrading tends to happen if the plane is overbooked or if the airline feels it should be nice to you. This could be as compensation for inadequate treatment elsewhere, or because you’re a valued client. One mother got upgraded to business class after loudly protesting the lack of a (pre-booked) skycot for her baby. The baby got a business class seat of his own.
An air hostess for a foreign airline gave a tip on upgrading: don’t ask at check-in; rather approach the staff at the boarding gate and ask politely. And look like you should be travelling business class. Her advice was for an airline based at Heathrow, but you never know, it could work here.