Seat Pitch 101: everything you need to know about the stat that makes the biggest difference in your onboard productivity…….

The best way to avoid an uncomfortable and unproductive plane ride in coach is to keep seat pitch in mind when making your travel plans. Seat pitch is the distance from one point on a seat to the equivalent point on the seat in front of you. The larger the seat pitch, the more distance you will have from the seat in front of you. Keep in mind that one type of aircraft can have a different seat pitch, depending on the airline. So just because you found that coach seat quite comfortable during your last flight on a 757 with Song, does not mean it will be the same on a 757 with Delta. In fact, in this case the seat pitch is up to 34″ on Song, and a cramped 31″ on Delta (unique in this case as they are owned by the same parent company).

So, with the average seat pitch at about 32″-33″, forget using any laptop with a display larger than 14″ on an airplane with less than say, 32″–unless your equipped with a new ultraportable such as the new Sony Vaio VGN-T150P/L or equivalent.

We think the best source for seat pitch info is seatguru.com. The information is arranged by airline (both domestic and international) and includes some seat width stats as well. It also provides some nice graphics which help rank the seats (Good Seat, Be Aware, Poor Seat) and gives you an idea which seat has a power port as well as closet, galley, lavatory and exit locations. The site also includes, where applicable, information about available AC power and any audio and video services onboard.