But there’s a catch

Nobody wants to board a plane and spend the flight struggling for legroom.

Now, the future of short-haul budget travel is about to become slightly more comfortable, as easyJet is introducing new slimline seats that, drumroll please… will provide an extra two inches of legroom.

There is a bit of a catch though: you’ll only really feel the benefit when you recline your seat, which can be controversial on shorter flights — to say the least.
You’ll also need to wait a couple of years as the rollout is currently scheduled for 2028, but the budget airline has been working with a design company called Mirus Aircraft Seating to produce the new blueprints.

They’ll only be available on the new models of planes easyJet is introducing (for aviation nerds, that’s the Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft, of which there’ll be just over 200).

While other airlines also use Airbus models, including Wizz Air, JetBlue, and Lufthansa, easyJet will be the first company to make the move.

The new ultra-lightweight seat design is called the Kestrel, and it’s designed to be 20% lighter than the current ones.

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At the moment, standard easyJet seats don’t recline at all, and offer up between 28 and 29 inches of legroom.

That’s all set to change, with an ergonomic design that’ll allow travellers to kick back and relax.

Extra knee and shin clearance has been assured here, which is a potential game-changer if you’re over 6ft.

easyJet isn’t the only airline that’s made a change to its seat policy of late.

In January, Southwest Airlines introduced a controversial new rule for plus-sized passengers, asking travellers who can’t fit within the armrests of their seat to book an additional one before they fly.

Previously, plus-size travellers could request an additional seat, then apply for a refund, or request a complimentary seat at the airport.

Under the new rules, though, refunds won’t be guaranteed and will only be granted if at least one seat on the flight was empty at departure and if both tickets were purchased in the same booking class.

Tigress Osborn, chair of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, previously told the New York Times: ‘Southwest was the only beacon of hope for many fat people who otherwise wouldn’t have been flying.

And now that beacon has gone out.’

This is the quickest way to board a plane — but airlines don’t use it

Devised by astrophysicist Jason Steffen, the Steffen Method theorises the ‘perfect’ way to board passengers in the fastest and most efficient manner possible.

Steffen’s research, published in 2008, concluded that travellers were best off boarding from back to front, in the following order:

1. Odd-numbered window seats


2. Even-numbered window seats


3. Odd-numbered middle seats


4. Even-numbered middle seats


5. Odd-numbered aisle seats


6. Even-numbered aisle seats.

At the moment, no major airlines use it, and according to Steffen himself, the reason is likely because it’s just too complicated.

It wouldn’t be practical to split up families, and it doesn’t account for late arrivals.

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.