Economy seats get a bad reputation, particularly on long-haul flights.
Yet when you think about it, flying in the most affordable cabin usually only takes up a half-day of your life and is perhaps not worth paying thousands of dollars for an upgrade that only yields a few extra inches of leg room or a fancier meal.
And while, true, there’s nothing glam about flying coach, it’s not a guaranteed nightmare, either. Some airlines even go out of their way to roll out fun, surprising perks you might not expect.
From meals just for tiny tots to indulgent desserts, here are a few airlines where it can be a real delight to sit all the way in the back.
In this article
Emirates
A few years ago, I flew with Emirates from Chicago to Dubai. And on that long-haul flight, I was surprised to see flight attendants waltzing down the aisle before take-off snapping pictures of passengers with a Polaroid camera and handing each printout back as keepsakes.
Turns out, this is a special service the airline offers to families traveling with small children, which is then printed off and placed in a limited-edition commemorative frame.
And that’s not all. Emirates also offers kids sustainably made toys and an activity magazine filled with jokes, puzzles and games to keep kids engaged during the flight. Kid-friendly meals are also a signature service, as are baby essentials such as an infant amenity kit stocked with diapers, a bib, lotion, and a changing mat (most Emirates plane bathrooms have baby changing tables).
Porter Airlines
No one wants the middle seat, which is why Porter Airlines, a small Canadian airline with its hub at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, was genius to remove altogether.
Instead, each row features a window seat and an aisle seat in a two-by-two configuration with no middle seats on the entire plane in both economy classes: PorterClassic and PorterReserve.
Although many of Porter Airlines’ routes service Canadian destinations, there are also longer flights to spots in the U.S., such as Phoenix, that fly in and out of Pearson International Airport and Hamilton International Airport.
Virgin Atlantic
“Chicken or pasta?” is the familiar line when flight attendants roll the dinner cart through the economy cabin on certain flights.
But on Virgin Atlantic, the youngest passengers have something more appealing to chow down on: a special kid’s menu, including in its economy cabin. Just like with any special-meal request, pre-orders are necessary, but there’s no extra cost.
Available to children between the ages of two and 12, the menu often includes kid-friendly food such as breadcrumb-coated chicken with mashed potato as well as vegetables (roasted carrots and broccoli) in a creamy cheese sauce, plus fresh fruit and a mixed-berry trifle.
Iberia Airlines
This legacy Spanish isn't just handing out pretzels to coach passengers. Anyone seated in economy can pre-order delicacies costing less than 19 euros that are reminiscent of what you’d find in first class, or more realistically, a fancy restaurant in Spain.
When ordering this affordable option, you’ll enjoy gourmet fare such as chocolate cake served with a small bottle of chilled cava (Spanish sparkling wine), or seared octopus with ratatouille and patatas revolconas (mashed potatoes).
The Shortcut
Porter Airlines took the middle seat out of the whole plane. Every row is a window and an aisle, so there's no bad seat.
Emirates hands families a Polaroid keepsake before takeoff and stocks an infant kit with diapers, a bib, and a changing mat.
Virgin Atlantic has a real kids' menu in economy at no extra charge, breadcrumbed chicken and mashed potato, not a repackaged adult tray.
