A Footwell is the enclosed cubby or recess in staggered and herringbone seat designs where passengers’ feet rest when the seat is fully reclined.
In order to maximize cabin density and ensure every passenger has a lie-flat bed, airlines brilliantly designed seats to overlap. In staggered and herringbone configurations, your feet slide underneath the side console or armrest of the passenger seated immediately in front of you. This space is called the footwell. While it allows for a fully flat sleeping surface, the size of the footwell varies drastically between airlines and specific seats. Some footwells are notoriously tiny, making it difficult for taller passengers to bend their knees or sleep on their side without constantly bumping against the hard plastic walls. Conversely, bulkhead seats usually feature massive, open ottomans instead of restrictive footwells. When selecting a business class seat, investigating the dimensions of the footwell is just as important as knowing the pitch or width.
It depends on the seat model. Taller travelers should actively seek out bulkhead seats or Apex Suites, which do not have confining footwells.
Yes, your feet slide under the console ahead of you. However, they are generally wider than the footwells found in standard staggered configurations.
Reverse herringbone is a business class layout where window seats angle toward the window and middle seats angle inward toward each other, providing all passengers with direct aisle access.
A staggered configuration is a cabin layout where seats are offset from the row in front of them, allowing the footwell of one seat to tuck under the console of the seat ahead.
Bed Length is the usable sleeping surface from the headrest to the bottom of the footwell when a seat is fully reclined.
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