Don’t Book a Bulkhead Seat Without Reading This

If you feel like the legroom on planes keeps getting suspiciously smaller and smaller, you’re not alone. Legroom allotments have been steadily decreasing over the years in order for airlines to boost profits, despite the complaints of fliers. These cramped quarters have sent many travelers hunting for new ways to maximize their space.

But before you book a bulkhead seat for the extra real estate, there’s something you should know: The bulkhead row is the plane’s designated area for inflight bassinets. Any time you book a bulkhead seat for yourself, you may end up sharing the row with a parent and their infant. A screaming baby might not be a deal-breaker for you (especially if you own a decent pair of noise-canceling headphones), but it’s important to note that the length of inflight bassinets typically runs across two seats; if you’re the one sitting next to that baby’s guardian, you’ll also be losing out on precious legroom. 

While getting additional legroom in economy might be a pipe dream, you can certainly make the most of it with the help of a few smart travel accessories. For starters, a smaller (yet still roomy) personal item bag is a no-brainer way to instantly get a few extra inches of space. And a hangable seatback organizer allows you to take your essentials out of your personal item, giving you even more wiggle room below. Keep scrolling for these space-saving hacks and more, all available at Amazon.

Top Space-saving Plane Seat Accessories

Tip 1: Use a Smaller, Smarter Bag

Bagsmart Duffel Bag

Maximizing your leg room space starts with choosing the right personal item bag. The key is to opt for one that doesn’t take up all of the space underneath the seat in front of you while still being spacious and organized. This Bagsmart duffel is a stellar choice: Not only is it lightweight and soft, which allows you to press it down and squeeze it to the side, but it’s also just 16.5 inches long, making it smaller than many other personal item bags on the market. Despite being on sale for $25, this small-but-mighty bag is flush with features, including a separate zippered wet pocket, a pass-through trolley sleeve, multiple interior and exterior compartments, and a removable padded shoulder strap to boot.

Tip 2: Shrink Your Belongings

Bagail Compression Packing Cubes

Compression packing cubes can squeeze the extra air out of any clothes inside of your personal item, decreasing the size of your bag entirely. This, in turn, can give you a few additional inches of precious leg room. This set from Bagail includes six different compression packing cubes of various sizes, so you can mix and match them between your personal item, carry-on, and checked bag for endless storage possibilities. “I was able to fit three of these in a Beis mini weekender bag for a Spirit flight as a personal item,” wrote one shopper who gave them a five-star rating. “I don’t know how I’ve gone this long in life without using compression packing cubes. I was even able to squeeze more stuff in them for the return flight home.” 

Tip 3: Use the Seatback for Storage

Airplane Pockets Plane Seat Organizer

You don’t have to keep all of your essentials inside of your personal item; a seatback organizer can lessen the load of your bag, giving your feet extra room to move in the process. This option from Amazon has dedicated spots that are each perfectly sized to hold your tablet, phone, reading glasses, water bottle, and headphones. “This is a godsend,” wrote one five-star reviewer who takes cross-country flights on a regular basis. “I usually put my airpods, wallet, phone, candy, gum, extra battery and USB cable in it at the top of my purse or backpack. [It] helps keep my purse light for more leg room.”

Tip 4: Try a Foot Hammock

Basic Concepts Foot Hammock

This solution may seem counterintuitive at first, but hear us out. If you’re a taller traveler and are unable to fully stretch out your legs out on a flight, a foot hammock can provide some relief by bending them and lifting them up slightly. This adjustment can help you find a more comfortable position than attempting to extend your legs can provide. “I ordered a hammock for me and my husband because we fly to Thailand often to visit his family,” wrote one 6-foot-tall traveler who purchased this option from Basic Concepts. “I will never fly there again without the hammock!”

Tip 5: Use Compact Travel Essentials

Trtl Neck Pillow

Cushy memory foam travel pillows take up a ton of space when you’re not using them. Choosing a smaller, more streamlined version—like this foldable Trtl neck pillow—can allow you to take it on and off freely, without sacrificing space. This innovative pillow uses supports to keep your neck upright, allowing you to fall asleep comfortably (even in the middle seat) while taking up a fraction of the space a normal donut pillow would. 

Tip 6: Wear Breathable, Packable Shoes

Ryka Women’s Echo Knit Slip-on Sneakers

Your shoe choice can seriously impact your comfortability on flights. Clunky, constrictive shoes take up excess leg room and can make your feet feel trapped. A pair of stretchy, breathable knit slip-ons can make a world of difference, both in providing extra leg room and reducing that feeling of suffocation that comes with sitting in the sky for hours on end. These Ryka sneakers, on sale for as low as $53, have soft, ribbed knit uppers that stretch to fit your feet like a pair of socks, freeing up your toes. Plus, they have heel pull tabs and can be compressed without losing their shape; that means you can slip them on and off easily and stuff them into your bag easily. 

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