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In recent years, technology has pushed fuel efficiency to greater and greater heights, and so, the range of commercial passenger aircraft has also increased. While airlines love the increased flexibility that long-range aircraft bring to the table, a secondary effect of this is that long-haul flights can last for longer durations. The Qantas route from Heathrow to Perth is one of the most extreme examples of a long flight, coming in at a little under 17 hours. If flights like this are to become the norm, comfort in economy class will become a very valued feature for thrifty long-haul customers. With this in mind, this article investigates which airlines offer the most comfortable economy-class seats. The Award For World's Best Economy Class Airline According to Skytrax, a third-party company that performs annual airline customer satisfaction surveys, Cathay Pacific Airways won the award for the World's Best Economy Class Airline in 2025, with Qatar Airways in second place and Singapore Airlines in third position. For catering options, EVA Air won the award for the World's Best Economy Class Onboard Catering, and for the best seat, Japan Airlines came in on top, winning the award for World's Best Economy Class Airline Seat. Looking more closely at the seats themselves, and the rankings for the World's Best Economy Class Airline Seat award, below are the top ten airline economy seats for 2025, according to Skytrax: Asian airlines come in as a clear winner in this field, and for good reason, as they have some of the best economy-class seats around. Japan Airlines features a seat with 19 inches of width and a pitch of 34 inches, two inches more than the industry standard. Seat pitch is the distance between one point on a seat and the same point on the seat in front, and can usually be a good measure of knee and legroom, while width is usually measured from armrest to armrest. Standout Planes With Comfortable Seats There are some particular aircraft that stand out amongst others when it comes to comfortable economy class seating, and each airline has its own things to offer. Condé Nast Traveler featured a list of the 10 most comfortable economy seats for long-haul flights with the best airlines for economy travel. The aircraft, measurements, layouts, and best features were outlined, as seen below: There are a lot of factors to consider when figuring out which are the best economy class seats on a particular plane, as the size of the jet and its layout can have an effect on comfort. Seat pairs are a great thing for couples, and any layout with a row of three is generally not desirable, as armrests can become something that gets fought over for the person in the middle seat. An outlier is the huge A380, the Emirates version of which seats 399 in economy with a 3-4-3 layout. Normally, an economy class section with this many passengers would be uncomfortable, but the A380 is so high and wide that the seats are very spacious. Having a double-decker cabin is also a rare novelty, but even with the extra deck, the ceilings are still the highest of any jet airliner. The Best Economy Long-Haul, According To Reddit Long-haul economy customers also have opinions on which airline is best for a cheaper seat, and there are some similarities to the lists provided from Condé Nast Traveler and Skytrax, as shown on a Reddit thread that posed the question. For customers looking to increase their points, Qatar Airways seems like a good bet, according to one commenter, who also confirmed that Airbus A330s with 2-4-2 layouts are superior when tickets for the aircraft can be obtained: "Qatar is amazing in air (not so much on ground), and they literally throw points at you. I've been upgraded many times from points and easily earned status. However - in economy I always try to get on Airbus A330, or whichever have 2-4-2 config over 3-3-3 or 3-4-3." However, when getting upgraded is not an option, there are also some innovative economy class features on the market, such as Air New Zealand’s Economy Skycouch seats, which feature extra footrests that can be lifted to create a large sofa, which is slightly smaller than a single bed. According to Travel Nation, this is ideal for couples and families as it turns the whole row into a single continuous and comfortable space. "Air New Zealand’s Economy Skycouch is a great concept and we found it comfortable. My toddler slept better there than in business class, and I could sleep next to him. A 13 hour flight with a toddler ended up better than I expected." While it is good to innovate new ways of using space in economy, particularly with long-haul being a larger consideration in the current passenger aviation era, sometimes, it just helps to have a really good standard product, and the JAL Sky Wider economy product has earned it a great deal of favor, both according to customers and Skytrax. Turkish Airlines and Air France are also well regarded for their economy offerings: "JAL Sky Wider I think is pretty objectively the best normal economy product in the world. I actually thought the food there was better than ANA business too... Agreed that [Turkish Airlines] economy is great and a big step up from the normal experience within Europe [...]. Imo Air France has (narrowly) the best overall economy experience for a western European carrier, both intra-Europe and long haul." Good Economy Options Among US Airlines While it is a rare thing for a US airline to make the top of the list for comfortable seats, a 2025 passenger survey regarding the best economy offering among US-based airlines named Southwest, JetBlue, and Delta as standouts in the sector, according to Condé Nast Traveler. Corroborating this to some degree, Delta was also mentioned on Reddit as having a fantastic international economy offering, specifically on Asian routes to the US: "Singapore and Delta (transatlantic) have pretty decent economy. Emirates as well, but I find the connecting through Dubai annoying." "I seconded Delta. Their Japan/South Korea route to the US is astounding. The plane is excellent, the food is among the best, and the service is excellent." Both the Delta Boeing 767-400ER and the JetBlue Airbus A321 were mentioned as good aircraft for economy travelers on the Condé Nast Traveler's list of 10 best planes to travel on. However, as long-haul routes are becoming flyable by smaller twinjets, one experience passengers should not miss out on is the Airbus A380, flown by either Emirates or Singapore Airlines, as with the 747-8 and A380 ceasing production in the last few years, the high-capacity passenger quadjet concept is on borrowed time.
