Whenever we book tickets on an airplane, perhaps the area where we are most interested in the seats we will be sitting on. Whether we are on a long journey or short, or maybe a red-eye flight, the comfort of our seats matters most as that is where we will be spending the next few hours of our time. Usually, this depends on the class of flight you’re booking, i.e. the more you pay, the larger and comfier the seat is.
The seats available on an airbus or a plane usually vary by different types. Knowing what they ensure that you know what you’re getting into, according to your comfort and budget levels. Tripbeam will help you learn about the top and common types of seat classifications so you can book the US to India flights with ease.
Here are the commonly available types of seating arrangements every flight has. They are explained in further detail below.
- Economy Class Seats
- Premium Economy Class Seats
- Business Class Seats
- First Class Seats
Economy Class Seats
The economy-classed seats are also known as a coach or standard seats. These are the basic seats that most people book when they are planning on flying out. If it is an international flight, these usually are in 3 seat arrangements so more people can be seated. The economy class seats are the least expensive seats among the others in a flight.
On flights such as Boeing 747- 400, the economy seats are arranged in such a manner that there are 3 seats on each of the window sides and 4 seats in the middle row. This type of seating allows for comfort on a budget and gets more passengers on a flight. The seats are usually 17 to 18 inches wide and have the pitch (also known as the legroom) measure about 31 to 32 inches.
On many smaller airplanes, most of which do not fly internationally, the seating arrangements go for 2-3-2 instead of 3-4-3. Presently, airlines also offer various types of economy seats such as Economy Plus or Economy XL. The seats come with a slightly higher price tag but offer extra comfort and legroom, making it all worth it.
Premium Economy Class Seats
The premium economy class is higher than the economy classified seats, with higher prices as well. The seats offer more perks than the basic regular seats of the airplanes and airbuses, yet is a far cry from the business and first-class seats. These are available on most flights, including US to Delhi flights.
Some premium perks with this classification are a dedicated lounge at the airport for waiting, wide seats with larger pitches, and TV screens. Things get more conveniently relaxing when it comes to the food and drink, and the entertainment options.
Passengers are generally offered a wide selection of foods to choose from, and maybe even served complimentary drinks. The entertainment choices and amenities expand to include more channels on TV to choose from, frequent flyer points, basic amenities such as earplugs, toothbrushes, sleep masks, and even airplane wifi to connect to if needed.
Business Class Seats
Lying between premium economy and first-class seats, business class seating arrangements are just second to first class. The seats are generally 21 inches in width and have legroom of about 57 inches. This means that in the extra inches of comfort, it is almost twice the length of legroom in economy class seats.
In some airlines, the length increases further to include more, hence adding more comfort in longer durations of a flight journey. The reason behind the large seating arrangements is that they are designed for people who need to be on their laptops, talk on their phones, attend an online meeting, or work on reports.
Ergo, such business people need extra legroom and better amenities than other classes. These can include chauffeured pick up and drop services, free food and drink in the plane and to fill up on in airport lounges, along with onboard bars that are fully serviced to include any drink you need.
Most airlines go all out to treat their business class passengers lavishly so apart from having a comfortable, relaxing flight, you can look forward to being regally pampered should you choose to book business class seating arrangements.
First Class Seats
The topmost luxurious seating arrangements on an airplane are undoubtedly the first class, and of course, most frequent flyers are very familiar with these as they have to walk right past these seats to get to theirs. First-class seats are located at the exact front of the plane.
The seats are typically about 2 inches wider than those in business class and have legroom that is approximately 10 to 30 inches larger, compared to business class seats. Most of the advantages are larger than life and any of them easily trumps all benefits offered in any of the other classes of seating arrangements.
Since the passenger to flight attendant ratio is very small, some airlines simply offer a personal flight attendant for each passenger travelling in first class. Apart from that, the passengers are served delicious, freshly cooked food, slippers, robes, luxe toiletry kits, and practically any co*cktail a passenger can ask for.
The seats are more like classy suites where one can stretch out for a nap easily, the seats can be pushed back entirely for beds, and in some airlines, separate beds and chairs are available. There is also a separate washroom especially for the first-class passengers, and there is generally more than one.
The only downside to availing all of these is the price, as first-class tickets cost about 5 times more than business class tickets. Hence, it is out of the budget for most passengers but, if the price is not an issue for you, traveling first class is truly an experience you’d want, especially when you are traveling on US to India last minute flights.
Also Read: USA’s CDC Issues Level One Notice to Proclaim India Safe for Travel
