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The 10 unrivaled winners for best economy class.
Although the phrase “world’s best” is typically reserved for the big seats at the front of the airplane, the majority of airline passengers still fly economy class. Not all economy class products are the same, however. Some airlines throw in a few extra amenities and niceties to make the experience ever-so-slightly more enjoyable—everything ranging from free drinks or better-than-average legroom to amenity kits. Here are a few of our favorite economy class cabins on the world’s airlines.
1 OF 10
Singapore Airlines
With a minimum of 32” of seat pitch, an adjustable headrest, and a large entertainment screen with an impressive selection of international films and TV shows, Singapore Airlines has long had one of the world’s most talked-about economy class products. Passengers enjoy service from the airline’s famous sarong kebaya-clad “Singapore Girls” with a selection of hot meals and the country’s national cocktail, the Singapore Sling, on all but the shortest flights. Passengers can even preview the menu for their flight up to eight days prior to departure using the digital menu feature in the Singapore Airlines app.
2 OF 10
Alaska Airlines
With a long-standing reputation for high-quality service, Alaska Airlines has a comfortable, well-wired main cabin product, with in-seat power and a frequently updated selection of fresh food, snacks, and drinks for sale on longer flights (including the ability to pre-order on the app). There’s a focus on West Coast products like Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka, Stumptown Coffee, and the signature fruit and cheese platter with Oregon Tillamook cheese and Washington Beecher cheese. For passengers checking bags, Alaska guarantees them delivered within 20 minutes.
3 OF 10
JetBlue Airways
When it launched in 2000, JetBlue set out to make the economy class experience better. It eventually introduced a premium cabin, but economy is still the airline’s core product. Every seat has more legroom than competitors, free wi-fi, free snacks, and Pepsi soft drinks or Dunkin’ coffee; plus snack boxes or fresh food available for sale on longer flights. Across the Atlantic, the airline adds free vegetable-forward meals and alcoholic beverages.
4 OF 10
Emirates
Emirates flights from the U.S. are certainly long-haul (many are more than 12 hours long) and a comfortable economy class is essential. Passengers kick back in comfy seats with thousands of channels of entertainment, fresh meals with cuisine inspired by the destination the flight is operating from, and free drinks. Economy passengers also receive reusable United for Wildlife-themed amenity kits featuring endangered animals, containing socks, eyeshades, a dental kit, and a bookmark.
5 OF 10
Cathay Pacific
Hong Kong’s airline, Cathay Pacific, has a famously comfortable economy class with ergonomic cushioned seats with adjustable headrests and a shelf to keep smartphones at the passenger’s eye level. Menus are crafted in partnership with Michelin-starred restaurants, featuring Hong Kong favorites like dim sum or egg tart, or the airline’s own IPA which was specifically formulated to offset the changes to the palate at 35,000 feet—tasting more like an earthbound brew.
6 OF 10
Hawaiian Airlines
This is perhaps the most comfortable way to fly in the cheap seats across the Pacific to the Aloha State. Hawaiian’s daytime flights between Hawai‘i and the continental US still offer a free meal to all coach passengers. Widebody Airbus A330 and Boeing 787 flights have free seatback entertainment, while Airbus A321 flights have streaming entertainment to passenger devices—or passengers can simply log on to the free-for-everyone Starlink wi-fi (currently on A321 and A330 flights, coming soon to the 787) and browse or stream however they wish.
7 OF 10
EVA Airways
Memory foam coach seats? Taiwanese cuisine including congee (rice porridge) for breakfast? The chance you might be on a Hello Kitty-themed jet (from Chicago), with special inflight service and exclusive duty-free products? All that is awaiting coach passengers on EVA Airways of Taiwan, offering daily transpacific flights from seven cities in North America to its hub in Taipei, with connections throughout the Asia/Pacific region.
8 OF 10
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Now these are comfy coach seats. In addition to significant recline and a multi-way adjusting headrest, the bottom of the seat actually slides forward, giving a few more inches of recline. It’s a cozy way to travel to or from Amsterdam, or on the handful of routes around the world KLM operates with local traffic rights (like Singapore to Bali or Santiago to Buenos Aires). There’s also an extensive beverage list (try the orange juice), including a signature cocktail, and on flights departing Amsterdam, economy passengers can pre-order premium meals for a nominal fee.
9 OF 10
Virgin Atlantic
When he started Virgin Atlantic in 1984, Richard Branson wanted to call the economy class “Riff-Raff,” but was talked out of it by his marketers. Today, economy on Virgin Atlantic comes with good food (chicken fajita with Mexican rice or sausage and mashed potato with greens, anyone?), an open bar on international long-haul flights, and on flights from London, the Mile High Tea, with sandwiches, scones, and a chocolate truffle. That’s not counting 300+ hours of onboard entertainment and wi-fi for purchase.
10 OF 10
United Airlines
United doesn’t often make these lists, but we’ve recently been impressed with extensive inflight entertainment (screens on some aircraft can even be connected to your own headsets by Bluetooth), good food with regional flair on international long hauls (think quinoa on flights to South America and stir-fry on Asia flights), and solid options for purchase on domestic flights. United has even re-introduced the passenger favorite stroopwafel as a free snack on many domestic flights (if you prefer a chocolate quinoa crisp cookie or snack mix, those are available too). United’s app is also impressive, with the ability to video or text chat with a customer service agent instead of standing in an airport line.