Door to Door: a travel guide for disabled peopleGoing by air: Aircraft seatingGetting the right seat on an aircraft is of the utmost importance to disabled passengers. Ambulant disabled people may be concerned about the amount of legroom and the ease of getting into and out of their seat. Legroom is determined mainly by a measurement known as the 'seat pitch'. This is the distance from a point on the back of one seat to the same point on the equivalent seat in the row in front. Seat pitch varies according to the aircraft type, the route being flown, the ticket class, and the airline, and goes from 29" (73.66cm) on some economy class short haul flights, to 84" (213.36cm) and more in business class on long haul flights. The other dimension that affects comfort and accessibility is of course the width of the seat. Your travel agent or tour operator should be able to provide information on both measurements. This information is also available on the 'airline seating' pages of Skytrax website at: www.airlinequality.com. If you have very specific requirements due to an inability to use conventional seating you should let the airline know at the earliest opportunity. In the majority of situations arrangements can be made in advance, so long as you give sufficient notice. More information about aircraft seating is given in the DPTAC publication 'Access to air travel: Guidance for disabled and less mobile passengers'. Updated: 13.01.05 | Contact: dptac@dft.gsi.gov.uk |