Is an Airbus A320 or a Boeing 737 more comfortable?

They are broadly similar single-aisle aircraft with six-across seating. The A320 family has a marginally wider cabin, which can mean slightly wider seats, but the airline's own seat choice and seat pitch matter far more than the manufacturer.

Yes. Modern turboprops are certified to the same rigorous standards as jets and are widely used on short regional routes where they are more efficient. They fly lower and slower, so passengers notice more engine noise and more sensation of movement, but that is a comfort difference rather than a safety one.

How do I find out which aircraft I will be flying on?

The aircraft type is usually listed on the flight details in your booking confirmation and in search results, often as a code such as 320, 738 or 789. Airlines can and do swap aircraft, so treat it as likely rather than guaranteed.

Does the aircraft type affect my cabin baggage?

The allowance is set by the airline, not the aircraft, but small regional jets and turboprops have limited overhead bins, so cabin bags are often gate-checked into the hold on those flights even when they meet the stated size limit.

Aircraft Types Explained: What You're Actually Flying On

Q: What is the difference between a narrowbody and a widebody aircraft?

A narrowbody has a single aisle and is typically used on short and medium-haul routes. A widebody has two aisles, a wider cabin and is used mainly on long-haul flights. Widebodies generally offer more cabin space, more overhead storage per passenger and quieter cruise.

Reviewed by the ScanFlyGo team · Last updated: August 2026. Airlines can substitute aircraft at short notice — treat the listed type as likely, not guaranteed.

Quick answer

The three-character code next to your flight — 320, 738, 789 and so on — tells you which aircraft type is scheduled. The main division is between narrowbodies, which have one aisle and fly short and medium routes, and widebodies, which have two aisles and fly long-haul. Below those sit regional jets and turboprops on short hops. Knowing which you are on tells you roughly how much cabin space, storage and quiet to expect, and whether your carry-on is likely to end up in the hold.

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The four families you'll actually encounter

Category	Typical use	Cabin feel
Turboprop	Short regional hops, island and commuter routes	Small, noisier, low cruise altitude, fast boarding
Regional jet	Thin routes feeding into hubs	Narrow, two-by-two seating, tight overhead bins
Narrowbody	Short and medium-haul, plus some long thin routes	Single aisle, usually three-by-three
Widebody	Long-haul and high-demand routes	Two aisles, more space, better air and humidity on newer types

Turboprops

Propeller aircraft with turbine engines, used where a jet would be uneconomic. They cruise lower and slower, so you feel weather more and hear the engines more. Neither of those is a safety concern — they are certified to the same standards as jets — but if you dislike noise, pick a seat forward of or well behind the propeller line where you can.

Regional jets

Small jets seating roughly 50 to 130 people, usually in a two-by-two layout. The upside is that nobody has a middle seat. The downside is the overhead bins, which frequently cannot take a full-size cabin bag, so expect gate-checking on these flights and keep valuables, medication and documents in a small personal item.

Narrowbodies

This is the workhorse category — the Airbus A320 family and the Boeing 737 family, plus their newer re-engined versions. Single aisle, typically six seats across, and increasingly used on routes that used to require a widebody. The practical differences between the two families are small: the A320 cabin is fractionally wider, the 737 has slightly different window alignment, and both live or die by how the airline has configured the seating.

Widebodies

Two aisles, larger cabins, and the aircraft you'll meet on most intercontinental routes. Newer types such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 use composite structures that allow higher cabin humidity and lower cabin altitude, which genuinely reduces how dried-out and headachy you feel after a long flight. Older widebodies are perfectly comfortable but do not share that advantage.

Reading the code on your ticket

Airlines use short IATA equipment codes in bookings and search results. A few common ones:

320 / 321 / 32N / 32Q — Airbus A320 family, including the neo variants.
737 / 738 / 739 / 7M8 — Boeing 737 family, including the MAX variants.
788 / 789 / 78X — Boeing 787 Dreamliner variants.
359 / 35K — Airbus A350 variants.
DH4 / AT7 — common regional turboprops.

These are scheduling codes, not promises. Aircraft swaps happen for maintenance, weather recovery and demand changes, sometimes on the day. If a specific cabin feature matters to you, treat the listed type as a strong hint rather than a contract.

Why it matters for your seat choice

Aircraft type interacts with seating in ways that are easy to miss when you are picking from a seat map:

Seats over the wing feel the most stable in turbulence on any type.
Rear seats on narrowbodies sit closest to the engines on rear-mounted-engine regional jets, and furthest from them on wing-mounted types — the noise profile flips.
Some window seats have no window, usually where structure or air-conditioning ducting runs. This varies by type and by airline configuration.
Bulkhead and exit rows have extra legroom but often fixed armrests and no under-seat storage.

Does the aircraft affect the price?

Only indirectly. Fares are driven by demand and remaining inventory, not by what is parked at the gate. What the aircraft does change is the value of the ticket to you: a newer widebody with better cabin pressurisation on a twelve-hour flight is worth more than the identical fare on an older type. Compare the whole market for your route, then use the aircraft as a tiebreaker between similarly priced options. Browse popular routes to see what is flying.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a narrowbody and a widebody?

One aisle versus two. Narrowbodies handle short and medium-haul; widebodies fly long-haul with more space, more overhead storage per passenger and a quieter cruise.

Is an A320 or a 737 more comfortable?

They are very close. The A320 cabin is slightly wider, but the airline's seat choice and pitch matter far more than the manufacturer.

Are turboprops safe?

Yes — same certification standards as jets. They are noisier and you feel the air more, but that is comfort, not safety.

How do I find out which aircraft I'm on?

Check the flight details in your booking or in search results, usually shown as a three-character code. Airlines can swap aircraft, so it's an indication.

Does aircraft type affect cabin baggage?

The allowance is the airline's, but small regional aircraft have limited bins, so compliant bags are often gate-checked on those flights.

The bottom line

You don't need to be an enthusiast to benefit from reading the aircraft code. It tells you what kind of cabin to expect, where the good seats are, and whether your carry-on will make it aboard. Use it as a tiebreaker once you have compared the fares, and track the aircraft live on the day to see exactly what is inbound. Search flights on ScanFlyGo to get started.

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