Experts reveal how to find the Ryanair seats with extra legroom – without paying for it
RYANAIR customers can find seats with extra legroom without paying extra using a simple trick, experts have revealed.
Researchers at the consumer group Which? made the discovery after examining different airlines’ seating plans.
They found that Ryanair seats often had more legroom if they were on the right-hand side of the plane.
This is because the budget airline run by business titan Michael O’Leary sometimes squeezes in an extra row of seats on the left – impacting legroom in the front compartment of the plane.
Which? specifically recommended seats D, E or F in rows 3-15 for the maximum chance of sitting comfortably on Ryanair’s Boeing 737 aircrafts.
The report states that these seats could mean “an extra half-inch of legroom versus other standard seats”.
These seats can be bagged either by getting lucky with the random allocation, or paying a modest £9 booking fee.
The same theory can be applied to other airlines, including EasyJet, according to Which?.
The report continued: “Seats towards the front of the plane aren’t actually the same size, with those on the right (seats D, E and F) often offering between an extra half-inch to inch of legroom versus those on the left.”
Customers booking themselves onto an EasyJet Airbus A321neo should specifically prioritise seats D, E and F in rows three to 13, the experts also claimed.
This should mean a whole 29 inches of space between you and the seat in front, versus just 28 inches in rows six to 17 and 30 to 40.
To see the seating plan before you book, the researchers said to simply type your destination and departure dates into Google Flights to find the aircraft type, then paste this into seat-plan website AeroLopa.
In another nugget of wisdom uncovered by the Which? researchers, the report recommended checking in to Ryanair flights as late as possible.
It said: “Those who don’t pay to pick a seat can check in from 24 hours to two hours before departure.
“The theory goes that the least desirable middle seats are allocated first because the airlines hope customers will change their minds and pay to upgrade.
“The longer you wait, the more likely it is that aisle and window seats will open up”.
The helpful advice comes as experts also shared the existence of little-known boxes cutting into legroom on some aircraft seats.
And, a magic seat with “practically unlimited” legroom on Ryanair Boeing 737-Max 8200 aircrafts was also revealed.
Plane etiquette
IF you're planning on going away any time soon, you'll need to pay attention to the following unwritten plane etiquette rules...
RECLINING SEAT: Podcast host and etiquette expert Nick Leighton explained that you shouldn’t recline your seat if the passenger behind you is working on their laptop.
He said: “Nobody likes their laptop snapped in half.”
Before you recline your seat, it’s best to check to see what the passenger behind you is doing.
If they are on a laptop, ask before you move your seat back.
FEET: A flight attendant told The Sun: “Your boarding card tells you a number and a letter, this will be the reserved seat that you have paid for.
“Your feet, which are attached to your body, should do their best to reside within this space and stay far away from anyone else.
“If you do insist on stretching out, please make sure your feet are covered up.”
CHAT: TV travel expert Samantha Brown explained that conversations from strangers aren’t welcome, suggesting that others shouldn’t expect a chat.
She added: “I’m not a talker. Plane time is me time.”