Aviation Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for aircraft pilots, mechanics, and enthusiasts. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I'd like to know the space allocated to a typical first class passenger compared to that allocated to a typical economy class passenger.
For example, from SeatGuru, I can get the pitch and width of the seats on a British Airways Boeing 747 (economy is "World Traveller"). But can that give me the actual space allocated? Also, the first class seat is an "open suite" - does that mean there's space beyond pitch and width? Anyone ever done this calculation (in square feet or square meters)?
Width and pitch give you the space that is allocated to you and your seat. First Class seats are more bulky than Economy seats, so the actually usable space is a smaller fraction than in Economy. I wonder how the square meters would convey more information; generally, in Economy you are boxed in by your neighbors, while in First you can outstretch without reaching the limits of the cabin space allocated to you.
The aisles are wider in First, but it will be hard to make a concrete claim on "your" part of the aisle. Cabin crew in First will be more tolerant of eccentric behavior, so your mileage varies. Also note that in First on wide-bodied Aircraft every seat will have direct access to the aisle, so you will not need to step over the feet of your neighbor.
You also get more space for your baggage (luggage). On narrow-bodied aircraft two people sit in First Class where six would sit in Economy, so you get three times more space in the overhead bins. On wide-bodied aircraft this difference is even more pronounced, count on having in First the space of 5 ore more Economy seats. The bins are smaller, though.
Also, the steward will take care of your coat in First, so your space requirement is reduced as compared to Economy.
