seats

AN American airline’s plan for new couches in economy has been hailed as a “game changer.”

It means a far more comfortable flight for travelers seeking additional space to sleep.

United Airlines has announced a “relaxed row” to allow travelers to stretch out and have a better rest in economy class.

It involves transforming economy seats into a couch between two rows of seats.

The initiative will provide more comfortable international travel, the airline said yesterday.

“Customers will get a custom-fitted mattress pad, specially sized blankets, extra pillows and a stuffed plush for children to help create a cozy, tranquil environment,” the carrier explained.

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“Sounds like heaven to me,” said one thrilled customer.

United‘s relax row option is expected to be available from 2027.

Prices for the perk haven’t been released as yet.

“Customers traveling in United economy on long-haul flights deserve an option for more space and comfort, and this is one way we can deliver that for them,” said Andrew Nocella, executive VP.

Once available, United will be “the first North American airline to offer this kind of seating option and holds North American exclusivity on the design,” the carrier said.

The lie-down couch-style seating will eventually be rolled out across some 1,000 United planes by 2030.

More on United Airlines’ ‘relaxed row’ economy seats that transform into a couch

The option will be available for United customers traveling in the economy cabin on long-haul flights from 2027

A new, dedicated row of three seats will be outfitted with individually adjustable leg rests that fold up at a 90-degree angle.

The formation of the couch will create more room to sleep, stretch out or watch a movie.

Customers traveling in United relax row will receive additional amenities for their international flight.

This includes a custom-fitted mattress pad, a specially sized plush blanket, two additional pillows, as well as a plush toy and children’s travel kit for families.

The airline plans to offer it on more than 200 Boeing 787 and 777 widebody aircraft by 2030.

The seats will be located between United economy and premium plus, with up to 12 relax row sections on each plane.

They aren’t just available for families, as single travelers can also purchase the row, added United.

Source: United Airlines YouTube

Around nine to 12 couches will be available per aircraft.

The seats will have individually adjustable, flip-up leg rests.

These can then be angled to create more room to sleep, stretch out or watch a movie.

Their provision follows a similar option offered by Air New Zealand, which already offers a row of economy seats that convert into a lie-flat couch after takeoff.

Travelers commenting on United’s version have said that it will be worth the extra money.

“I’ve used the sky couch a bunch, and for traveling with young kids on long haul flights it’s an absolute game changer, worth every penny,” raved one flyer on Reddit yesterday.

“I love the skycouch on Air New Zealand and have used it multiple times between the US and Auckland,” wrote another traveler.

“Obviously you don’t get the bells and whistles of a first class seat, but the lie flat feature is the only thing that allows me to sleep on airplanes so for me it’s perfect.”

“Family and I use the Air NZ sky couch every time we travel between NZ/US,” shared one parent.

“It’s a game changer and we always choose Air NZ for that reason. Will start looking seriously at UAL now for our travels.”

IF you thought being able to lay down on a plane was just for first and business class, think again.

United Airlines is introducing a new ‘Relax Row’ making travel in economy much more comfortable.

Launching in 2027, the Relax Row is a dedicated row of three seats that can transform into a ‘couch’, or lie-flat bed.

The seats will be designed with adjustable leg rests that can fold up and mattress pad placed on top.

Travellers can then stretch out whether they want to spend their journey sleeping or watching a film.

The airline said: “The United Relax Row is ideal for families traveling with small children, solo travelers and couples who want the value of United Economy but with a little extra comfort.”

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Along with a mattress pad, those on the Relax Row will get blankets, extra pillows, a toy and children’s travel kit.

The new Relax Row will appear on United Airlines aircraft in 2027.

By 2030, the airline said it will be on more than 200 of its Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 widebody aircraft with 12 Relax Row sections on each plane.

Andrew Nocella, United’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “Customers traveling in United Economy on long-haul flights deserve an option for more space and comfort, and this is one way we can deliver that for them.

“United is the only North American airline offering a product like the United Relax Row and is one of the many reasons why we’re continuing to win brand loyal customers.”

The cost of the new seat option is yet to be confirmed.

United Airlines has other perks for families including free family seating, which allows children under 12 to sit next to an accompanying adult for free at time of booking.

And while United Airlines will be the first North American airline to offer lie-flat seats in economy, there other airlines who already offer this for their passengers.

Air New Zealand has its Skycouch which is the same – a row of three economy seats that transform into a lie-flat bed.

Lufthansa have what they call the Sleeper’s Row which is for long-haul flights that are over 11 hours long.

Passengers get a full row of three or four seats with a mattress topper, pillow, and blanket at the airport.

The additional charge for this is between €169–€249 (£146.28-£215.52).

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And from one Travel Writer who has visited 50 countries – here’s why she rates this much-loathed budget airline.

The new seat will be installed from 2028 on hundreds of easyJet’s new aircraft, providing an extra two inches of improved knee and shin clearance

As budget airlines attempt to cram more and more passengers onto flights, it can feel as if the seat in front edges slightly closer each time you board a plane.

However, a “next generation” economy seat is on the horizon, which its creators claim will provide travellers with additional legroom without compromising space for airlines.

The Kestrel seat from Mirus Aircraft Seating, a British manufacturer, will be fitted from 2028 on hundreds of easyJet’s new aircraft, delivering an extra two inches of “improved knee and shin clearance” for passengers. It will enable easyJet to provide more legroom than most of its short-haul budget rivals.

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The seat reshapes a passenger’s back, enabling their hips and spine to sit further back on the cushion so their knees and legs gain additional space at the front.

The back is constructed from carbon fibre rather than the traditional moulded plastic, producing a slimmer seat that provides crucial extra inches for the person behind.

A “fixed recline” of 22 degrees naturally shifts the passenger to the most efficient position in the seat, Mirus claims. Customers cannot manually recline the seat to annoy the passenger behind them.

A standard easyJet seat typically provides between 28 and 29 inches of room, meaning anyone who is six foot or taller will touch the seat in front with their knees. Some airlines on longer haul economy flights offer up to 34 inches of space.

“We’ve always had very comfortable leg room in easyJet,” said Kenton Jarvis, the airline’s chief executive. “This product is exceptionally comfortable, exceptionally light and allows a configuration that creates more space for the customer in the cabin.”

He explained easyJet wouldn’t be retrofitting any of its estimated 350 aircraft, stating: “There’s an expense to ripping off perfectly good seats and putting in and buying new ones.” The seats will instead appear in new orders of the Airbus A320neo and A321neo from 2028.

Research conducted this year by consumer group Which identified the short-haul carriers offering the tightest economy-class seat layout, or pitch, as Jet2, KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair, SAS, TAP Air Portugal, Vueling and Wizz Air. All featured at least some seats with a 28-inch pitch.

The group noted that seat comfort also hinged on quality factors such as padding. By that measure, easyJet’s current seats achieved two out of five.

David Morgan, easyJet’s chief operating officer, commented: “We are delighted to be introducing the Mirus Kestrel seat across our future fleet.

“On top of the sustainability benefits, the additional legroom and enhanced comfort these seats will provide will also deliver an improved onboard experience for our customers, which we know they’ll love.”

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EASYJET has launched a huge sale with millions of seats on offer for winter 2027 including the February half-term.

The budget airline’s Big Seat Release has over seven million seats on flights to and from the UK on sale for between February 1 and March 21, 2027.

Travellers can choose from over 140 destinations across Europe and North Africa from 22 UK airports.

Flight offers include one-way flights to Paris from London Gatwick, costing £31.99 on February 2, 2027.

You could also travel to Dusseldorf in Germany, Geneva in Switzerland, and Grenoble and Nantes in France for the same price.

If you fancy travelling further afield, you could fly to Agadir in Morocco from London Gatwick on February 23, 2027, for £37.99 one-way.

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Agadir was recently named the most affordable break for summer 2026 by loveholidays, with a week holiday to the seaside city costing as little as £24 per person per night between June and August.

The Moroccan city is surrounded by mountains and also boasts a six-mile long golden beach.

Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey recently visited the city and said: “The Moroccan city is home to the country’s largest market, Souk El Had, as well as a bustling harbour and modern marina.

“Rebuilt following a devastating earthquake in 1960, the sprawling city nestles against the Atlantic Ocean and its palm-lined wide roads feel more Miami than Morocco.”

Other bucket-list destinations include Reykjavik in Iceland, with flights costing from £44.17 per way and Thessaloniki in Greece, costing from £48.99 per way.

To find easyJet‘s lowest fares, head to the low fare finder section of the easyJet website where the best value fares are shown.

EasyJet holidays also has thousands of package holidays available, including to destinations such as the Canary Islands, Morocco and Tunisia.

All of the holiday packages include flights and a hotel, with a 23kg luggage allowance and transfers for beach getaways.

Kevin Doyle, UK Country Manager for easyJet, said: “Putting millions more seats and package holidays on sale today for next winter means our customers across the UK can book early and enjoy great value to Europe’s most popular leisure destinations, including firm favourites such as Amsterdam, Paris, Alicante, Tenerife, and Malaga.

“With hundreds of routes available from 22 UK airports, our short-haul network offers unrivalled choice for those planning their holidays for next year, to book with ease, and we can’t wait to welcome them on board.”

In other flight news, one of the world’s best cities is getting more flights and TUI holiday packages – with mega cheap food and island beaches.

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NEW economy seats being rolled out on easyJet flights will give passengers even more legroom, in a rare move.

More than ever, budget airlines are trying to squeeze in more passengers in an attempt to keep costs down.

But easyJet has reveals the “next generation” seats which will actually give you more space.

Designed by Mirus Aircraft Seating, the new Kestrel seats are much slimmer then standard seats as they’re made from carbon fibre rather than plastic.

They also weigh less, coming in at just under 7kg per seat which is 20 per cent lighter than current seats.

And the slimmer seats mean passengers will get an extra two inches legroom too.

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EasyJet currently offers around 28-29 inches of legroom, so the additional two inches will take it up to 31 inches.

Hate passengers who recline? The seats have a fixed 22 degree recline that don’t move or go back.

The Mirus website states: “Designed for airlines operating short to medium-range flights of around 5 hours in standard specification, but available in ‘Enhanced Comfort’ specification to comfortably open up longer routes — the Kestrel transforms travel for passengers through unbeatable levels of legroom.”

They’re set to be rolled out across the Airbus A320neo and A321neo fleet in 2028.

David Morgan, chief operating officer, said: “The additional legroom and enhanced comfort these seats will provide will also deliver an improved onboard experience for our customers which we know they’ll love.”

EasyJet isn’t the only airline making the economy experience better.

Air New Zealand is launching bunk beds which economy passengers can rent for up to four hours to get some sleep.

Last year, Thai Airways announced they would be launching lie-flat beds in premium economy.

Emirates is rolling out “gamechanger” new cheap seats, although little else has been revealed.

And a new economy seat design called the Skynook has been compared to business class, with a private sliding door

March 16 (UPI) — Illinois will have busy primary elections Tuesday as voters select a candidate to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and fill five U.S. House seats without incumbents.

Three House seats are open due to retirements, and two others have incumbents running for Senate. All seats are expected to be filled with Democrats.

There will also be primaries for governor of the state, but there are no Democrats running against incumbent Democrat JB Pritzker.

Illinois voters “have an opportunity for generational turnover — where a boomer senator is stepping down, and you’ve got three Gen-Xers, who’ve been around on the scene for quite some time, trying to get the seat,” Northwestern University political science professor and Democratic strategist Alvin Tillery told ABC News. Tillery is not involved in any Illinois races.

“It could be another 20 or 30 years before we have a Senate race this competitive in Illinois,” he added.

Key Republicans running for Senate are attorney Jeannie Evans and former Illinois GOP chair Don Tracy.

There are 11 Democrats vying for the seat, but the top three are Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly.

Krishnamoorthi has raised the most money — more than $30 million — while Stratton has the benefit of Pritzker’s endorsement.

All three have run on fighting President Donald Trump and opposing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, which operated heavily in Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz.

“Fighting ICE has become synonymous with opposing and fighting back against Trump,” Brandon Davis, a Democratic consultant who worked on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2023 campaign, told NBC News.

“I’m the only one with the background of standing up to bullies and bad actors, and successfully doing so, and now I have to stand up to Donald Trump,” Krishnamoorthi told ABC News in an interview. He would be the second Indian-American to hold a seat in the Senate.

Stratton is the first Black lieutenant governor in Illinois and told ABC News: “I have the best path in the nation to elect another Black woman to the United States Senate.”

Kelly has the endorsement of longtime Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. He campaigned with Kelly on Tuesday, telling WLS-TV she is “our go-to person on healthcare issues.”

But all three have focused their ads against ICE.

Stratton has said she wants to “abolish” the agency because, “I don’t believe that this agency can be reformed. I want ICE and CBP out of our American cities.”

Krishnamoorthi said he wants to “abolish Trump’s ICE.” He explained he’s pushing for reforms to stop them from wearing masks and stop “roving gangs of ICE and CBP agents stirring up trouble in our cities.”

Kelly has called to dismantle ICE and the whole of the Department of Homeland Security, saying it’s “too big, too unwieldy and they’re not accountable.”

It has been branded ‘brutal’ and ‘absolute hell’

The world’s longest bus journey spans 4,000 miles and has racked up a negative reputation. It takes over 100 hours to travel the route, which is roughly six days.

The journey connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans as it goes from Lima in Peru to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. It is made possible thanks to the Trans-Oceanic Highway.

The legendary Transoceánica holds the title of being the longest regularly scheduled, direct commercial bus route in the world.

It runs weekly by the Brazilian bus company and passes through coastal cities, savannas, wetlands, rainforests and the Andes Mountains.

The bus departs on Thursdays at 1pm and promises to be a ride passengers won’t forget. There are 44 regular seats and 12 sleeping berths on board. There’s also a toilet, small sink, water dispenser and Wi-Fi.

However, there are no showers on board. To be able to wash, passengers use facilities during the three scheduled stops per day at roadside stations.

The bus is driven by two alternating drivers, with one resting in a sleeping cabin while the other drives. According to Check My Bus, the ticket price is approximately R$1,300, which is around £186.

From the bus, passengers are able to see world-famous sites including the Amazon Basin, Andes Mountains, Christ the Redeemer and Machu Picchu.

Starting in Rio de Janeiro, the bus makes its way through São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Rondônia and Acre, until it reaches the border with Peru.

It then goes through the Peruvian Amazon, crosses the Andes and takes the Transoceanic Highway to Lima, the capital of Peru.

Despite the stunning scenery, some passengers have found the journey very tricky.

YouTuber Noel Phillips travelled the route and branded it “gruelling” and “absolute hell”. He said that on the bus, personal space was a non-existent concept.

In a video documenting the trip, Noel said: “Nobody has [headphones]; everyone just plays everything on full blast. And when they can’t hear it above everybody else’s, they just turn theirs up so in the end you just have 15 phones playing different things at 55,000 decibels.”

Noel admitted that by the time he reached Brazil, the journey felt repetitive. He faced a number of delays on his journey as well as a lack of heating on the bus.

The mammoth journey is now flown twice a week and spans three continents

The world’s longest flight record was set last year with the launch of a new 29-hour route. It is now the longest in the world, spanning almost 20,000km, which is 12,427 miles.

The route is so long that the plane even needs to stop off to refuel. Passengers are in their seats for over a day as the plane travels from Shanghai, China, to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

It is flown twice a week by China Eastern Airlines. Due to the distance, the plane stops at Auckland Airport, New Zealand, to refuel.

Staff also get swapped around whilst at the stop, yet the passengers carry on. At almost 20,000km, the route is used to ship supplies between China, New Zealand and South America, as well as passengers.

It was launched on December 4 last year. The route from China to Argentina takes more than 25 hours, while the return leg takes an additional four.

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“This new route fills the gap in direct flights between Shanghai and major South American cities,” China Eastern Airlines said at the time of the first flight.

“It opens a ‘southbound corridor’ connecting opposite ends of the Pacific and reshapes air travel between three continents.” The staggering journey sees passengers board a jumbo 316-seat Boeing 777-300ER.

Before the launch of the route last year, the quickest available journey from Shanghai to Buenos Aires took 31 hours. It involved non-direct flights with a layover.

It is a popular route, as more than 55,000 people born in China live in the South American country, according to data from Simply Flying.

Data also showed that 96,000 passengers flew between China and Buenos Aires in the 12 months to September 2025, before the new route existed.

The flight has set the record for the longest commercial flight route in the world, yet it can’t secure the world’s longest direct flight route title because it makes a stop.

The title of the longest non-stop flight is currently held by Singapore Airlines. It takes 19 hours to travel from Singapore to New York.

However, it isn’t set to hold the record for long as Qantas is set to launch a new non-stop route next year. It is planning a 22-hour nonstop flight from Sydney, Australia, to London in 2027.

Thanks to a 20,000-litre fuel tank, the plane wouldn’t need to stop to refuel. It will travel 10,573 miles and has been labelled “the final frontier of long-haul travel” by Qantas.

BRITISH Airways is launching the world’s largest business class cabin this year.

This week, new information about British Airways‘ new business class seats was leaked.

The leak included the proposed seat plan, revealing the expected layout of the airline’s new A380 cabin.

The new Airbus A380 configuration will feature 110 Club World seats, making it the largest business class cabin on any aircraft.

BA is set to start refurbishing its A380s in the second quarter of this year and inside the refitted planes, passengers will find Club Suites – the newest business class offering.

The suites will feature a privacy screen door, a special lining that reduces noise, a 53.3cm-wide seat and a 200cm bed.

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Passengers will also be able to make use of a 47cm touchscreen as well as side bins and cabinets for their belongings.

Every seat will also have direct aisle access.

The number of premium seats will increase, meaning that the total capacity of the aircraft will be lower.

According to the leaked seat plan, the main deck will feature 12 new first class suites, 84 premium economy seats and 215 economy seats.

The upper deck will be just for Club World business class, with 110 seats in total.

In comparison, this will be a 48-seat reduction compared to the current layout which features 14 first class seats, 97 business class seats, 55 premium economy seats and 303 economy seats.

Club Suites are already available on all A350s, 787-10s, and most 777s from London Heathrow Airport.

In mid-2026, British Airways is also set to introduce its new First seat.

The seats are designed to have a “modern luxury hotel feel” with “home comforts” and “thoughtful British touches”.

The new First seat will be wider and longer and will feature an 81.2cm 4K touchscreen.

The seats will have a ‘buddy dining’ feature as well, which will allow two passengers to dine together in one suite.

There will be a multi-purpose ottoman too, and a floor-level wardrobe.

These seats also form part of the airline’s A380 retrofit plans.

British Airways mainly uses its A380s from London Heathrow to major long-haul destinations such as Los Angeles, Miami, Boston and Johannesburg.

In other flight news, British Airways has launched a business class sale with £500 off flights.

Plus, these are five of the best solo travel destinations according to British Airways experts from beach cities to A-lister hotspots.