How To Choose the Best Economy Seat on American Airlines

Key Takeaways

• American Airlines offers several economy seating options, including Main Cabin Extra, Preferred Seats, and standard Main Cabin, each with varying levels of comfort and amenities.
• Main Cabin Extra provides extra legroom, earlier boarding than other economy passengers, and a complimentary alcoholic beverage.
• Preferred Seats offer a better location within the cabin, such as closer to the front, providing convenience without the added legroom of Main Cabin Extra.

No one likes to fly in the back of the plane, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. And when you do fly in economy class, it’s important to understand that not every seat is created equal. There are indeed differences among the seats in the cabin.

Today, we’ll take a look at American Airlines, which operates a very large domestic and international fleet. We’ll break down each of the economy seat options and tell you how to book them so that you’re prepared going into your next AA flight.

American Airlines’ Economy Seats

For the most part, American’s economy seats have the same physical attributes, so there’s no reason to necessarily book one aircraft over another in hopes of encountering a better product. Simply put, an economy seat is an economy seat when it comes to comfort.

That said, we can group the economy seats offered into different categories, each with pros and cons:

• Regional aircraft (such as an Embraer ERJ-145) tend to have cramped seat configurations, but also have a favorable 2-2 configuration where everyone has a window or aisle seat.
• On domestic aircraft (such as a Boeing 737-800), you’ll find economy class seats laid out in a 3-3 configuration, where seats in the bulkhead and exit rows are the best picks. Unfortunately, almost a third of the plane is stuck in a middle seat.
• American’s international planes (such as a Boeing 777-300ER) are laid out in a 3-4-3 configuration in economy, which is especially tight and not great for long flights. Fortunately, these planes have plenty of extra-legroom economy seats, making snagging one of these preferred locations very important for a long journey.

When it comes to selecting seats, not everything is equal, but we can generally place seats in the following categories:

• Some economy class seats you can select for free, with no strings attached. These tend to be the most unfavorable selections, including seats at the back of the plane or in the middle.
• Some seats are located in a better section of the aircraft and require a nominal fee to reserve them.
• Some seats include extra legroom and are offered for free to passengers with elite status.
• Some seats are located along bulkhead walls or feature extra legroom, and you’re able to pay a significant fee to select them.

Basic Economy

While not physically limited to a specific section of the aircraft, Basic Economy fares are the most bare-bones tickets you can buy. While you can bring your carry-on on board, you’re not given an assigned seat until check-in. This effectively guarantees you the “leftovers” — usually the seats no one else wants to sit in.

If you’re the type of person who doesn’t want the uncertainty of a free-for-all seat selection or wants less stress on the day of departure, don’t choose a Basic Economy seat.

Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of Basic Economy seats:

Pros

• Attractive fares

Cons

• You won’t be able to choose your seat
• You won’t be able to guarantee sitting next to a companion or with your family
• Group 9 boarding; the very last group to board

Standard Economy (Main Cabin) Seats

Seats that are not designated as Main Cabin Extra, exit row, Preferred seats, or Premium Economy are considered standard economy seats — these are the most ubiquitous seats you’ll find on the aircraft and are also the least desirable.

For the most part, there is no fee to select these seats.

Regular Main Cabin seats are highlighted in blue on the seat map and are free to select.

Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of standard economy seats:

Pros

• These seats are free to select

Cons

• These seats do not provide any additional marginal benefit — they have standard legroom and no additional perks

Preferred Seats

A Preferred seat does not necessarily have extra legroom but is located in a part of the plane that is more desirable. You might have a Preferred seat that’s located toward the front of the aircraft, for example. If you can’t snag a Main Cabin Extra seat, a Preferred seat is likely the next best thing.

While these seats don’t have extra legroom, they are far better than a middle seat or one near the rear of the aircraft.

Preferred seats are highlighted in green on the seat map. These seats have a better location, but otherwise don’t provide better comfort.

Here’s a look at what you could expect to pay as an additional charge to secure a Preferred seat on a variety of routes (prices are for July 1, 2022):

• Chicago (ORD) – Cancún (CUN): $36 to $43
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Santiago (SCL): $93
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Tulsa (TUL): $13 to $20
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Phoenix (PHX): $13 to $20
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD): $93
• New York (JFK) – London (LHR): $69 to $75
• New York (JFK) – Los Angeles (LAX): $63
• Washington, D.C. (DCA) – Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW): $29 to $35

Pros and Cons

Here’s an overview of the pros and cons of Preferred seats:

Pros

• They tend to be located in more desirable areas of the plane

Cons

• For non-elites, there’s usually an additional charge for these seats, which is hard to justify since there’s no extra legroom or recline

Preferred Seats by Aircraft

Preferred Seat Stats

Hot Tip: To learn how to find the best seat on the plane, check out our ultimate guide to SeatGuru, where we guide you through how to use the site to view seat maps, specific dimensions, and aircraft types for nearly every airline worldwide.

Main Cabin Extra

If you’re going to sit in economy, you want to be sure you select a Main Cabin Extra seat. These are the best seats you’ll find in the rear section of the plane.

What makes these seats special is that they have extra pitch — that is, the distance between the seat back of one seat to the seatback of the seat in front. Simply put, these seats have far more legroom than their counterparts in regular coach.

When looking on AA.com, Main Cabin Extra seats are highlighted in orange.

Main Cabin Extra tends to be located in the first several rows of the economy cabin, though there are some notable exceptions, including rear bulkhead seats or a wide-body aircraft with multiple sections of economy seats.

In addition to extra legroom, there are also a few other perks you’ll get in Main Cabin Extra:

• Group 5 boarding, which is the first group of economy passengers to board the aircraft; keep in mind that if you have elite status or another qualifier that would allow you to board early, you board with the earliest possible group
• A single, complimentary alcoholic drink
• “Dedicated” overhead bin storage space, though this tends to be a hit or miss perk since there’s rarely any enforcement to prevent other passengers from storing their luggage in the dedicated space

Here are the various ways through which you can select a Main Cabin Extra seat:

• AAdvantage Gold members, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP members, and Oneworld Ruby flyers can select a seat 24 hours before departure
• AAdvantage Platinum, Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum, and ConciergeKey members, Alaska Airlines MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K members, and Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald flyers can select seats at booking
• You can also purchase a Main Cabin Extra ticket at any time in the booking process

Hot Tip: You may want to take a look at what it would take to achieve American AAdvantage elite status or Alaska MVP elite status if you fly American frequently. Elite status often provides Main Cabin Extra seats for free, so the cost of pursuing status may outweigh the cost of purchasing these seats each time you fly.

Here’s a look at what it typically costs to upgrade to a Main Cabin Extra seat on a variety of routes (prices are for July 1, 2022):

• Chicago (ORD) – Cancún (CUN): $99
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Santiago (SCL): $107 to $123
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Tulsa (TUL): $22 to $24
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Phoenix (PHX): $22 to $25
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD): $166
• New York (JFK) – London (LHR): $76 to $113
• New York (JFK) – Los Angeles (LAX): $109
• Washington, D.C. (DCA) – Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW): $70 to $77

Pros and Cons

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of Main Cabin Extra seats:

Pros

• They have far more legroom than traditional economy seats
• They’re usually located in the forward portion of the aircraft, allowing you to get off the plane more quickly

Cons

• If you don’t have elite status, purchasing these tickets can be costly
• Middle seats are not blocked, so you may need to sit in a middle seat if there are no aisle or window seats available
• The seats don’t offer any additional recline

Main Cabin Extra Seats by Aircraft

Main Cabin Extra Seat Stats by Aircraft

Exit Rows

While seats in the exit rows are sold as Main Cabin Extra seats, they come with a unique set of pros and cons that’s worth talking about separately.

First of all, it’s important to note that you must be at least 15 years old to sit in one of these seats and you must be “willing, ready, and able to assist in the event of an emergency.” You can’t sit in an exit row seat if you don’t meet all of those criteria, and selecting one of those seats without being able to perform the duties expected of you will result in you being moved — likely to a less-than-ideal seat since this will be done right before takeoff.

Exit rows are always highlighted in orange on the seat map, but also contain a specific designation of the exit row, so you know you’ll be seated there.

Exit row seats, in most circumstances, can be selected in the same manner as you would for a Main Cabin Extra seat. On some aircraft, there are multiple exit rows, so you’ll have more opportunities to select these seats.

Here’s what you can typically expect to pay for exit row seats on a variety of routes (prices are for July 1, 2022):

• Chicago (ORD) – Cancún (CUN): $99
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Santiago (SCL): $123
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Tulsa (TUL): $24
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Phoenix (PHX): $25
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD): $129
• New York (JFK) – London (LHR): $113
• New York (JFK) – Los Angeles (LAX): $109
• Washington, D.C. (DCA) – Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW): $77

Pros and Cons

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of exit row seats:

Pros

• They have among the best legroom on the plane
• There’s ample room to get up and move around the cabin from these seats
• If you’re the type of person who needs to use the bathroom frequently, you may want to consider a seat in the exit row

Cons

• You must meet specific criteria to sit in an exit row
• Not all exit rows are created equal: if there are 2 rows, seats in the first one don’t usually recline to prevent issues with passengers trying to escape in an emergency
• The inflight entertainment screens are further away since they’re often built into the back of the seat in front of you
• Most exit rows still consist of 3 seats, so you’ll usually have a person in the middle seat for your journey

Hot Tip: If you have a mobility issue, cannot assist in an emergency, or do not speak fluent English, you will not be eligible to sit in an exit row.

Exit Row Seats by Aircraft

Exit Row Seat Stats by Aircraft

Premium Economy

Premium Economy can only be found on wide-body aircraft that operate longer international routes, though these seats do show up on the occasional domestic flight.

While Premium Economy seats are much more desirable — and in a different class — than regular economy seats, it’s worth discussing them here as they technically are a subset of the economy cabin on eligible flights.

Premium Economy seats are highlighted in blue on the seat map, and are specifically labeled as Premium Economy. You can only select these if you book a Premium Economy ticket.

Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of flying in Premium Economy with American Airlines:

Pros

• These seats provide far more legroom and width than economy seats
• Some seats feature a foot or leg rest
• They’re situated in a separate cabin
• They provide access to a dedicated lavatory
• Depending on the route, Premium Economy comes with upgraded meal service

Cons

• Premium Economy fares can be expensive, depending on the route
• These cabins do have middle seats, so you may end up in one
• Bulkhead seats have the inflight entertainment system stowed in the armrest, reducing seat width slightly

Premium Economy Seats by Aircraft

Premium Economy Seat Stats

Final Thoughts

There are many different seating types throughout American Airlines’ fleet, and it’s important to know the differences among each of these seat types so you know the best place to sit.

While all seats may look more or less the same, there are marked differences in legroom, location, overhead bin space, and more.

Keep this guide bookmarked so you can choose the best seat possible for your next flight in American Airlines economy.