Guide·All Airlines

Bulkhead Seats Explained

Bulkhead seats usually trade underseat storage for legroom. Some are the best seats on the plane. Others are not worth the trade-off. We scored 773 of them across the airlines we cover.

Last updated: March 2026

The quick answer

TOTAL BULKHEAD SEATS

773

across 9 airlines and 53 aircraft configs

NO UNDERSEAT STORAGE (MOST)

95%

735 of 773 seats — everything goes in the overhead bin

BEST BULKHEAD

10/10

United Airlines Boeing 777-300ER — seat 1A

What is a bulkhead seat?

A bulkhead seat is a seat directly behind a wall or divider that separates cabins, galleys, or lavatories. Instead of a seatback in front of you, there's a wall, which usually means no underseat storage — your bag, laptop, and everything else goes in the overhead bin for takeoff and landing.

In return, bulkhead rows usually offer more legroom. But there's a lot of variation hidden inside that "usually." Some bulkhead seats score 10/10 on our site. Others score 1.

The bulkhead trade-off

What you gain

+ Extra legroom (usually 2–6" more than standard)
+ Nobody reclines into your space
+ Easier access to the aisle (no climbing over people)
+ First off the plane (front bulkhead rows)

What you lose

− No underseat storage during taxi, takeoff, and landing
− Fixed armrests (the tray table is stored inside, which makes the seat feel narrower)
− A smaller tray table that feels less stable
− Can be displaced for passengers with disabilities
− Bassinet zone on international flights (noise risk)

Hard wall vs. curtain

Not every bulkhead seat has an actual wall in front of it. On many narrowbody aircraft, the divider between first class and economy is just a curtain. This changes the experience significantly:

Hard wall

A solid partition. Your feet hit the wall. No underseat storage at all. Tray table and screen are in the armrest. More privacy, less noise bleed, but your legs have nowhere to stretch under the seat ahead.

Curtain divider

A fabric divider between cabins. You can usually stow a bag under the seat ahead (the last first-class seat). More foot room and a less rigid feel overall — but also less privacy, light bleed from the premium cabin, and sometimes noise from the galley behind the curtain.

What experienced travelers know

The seat-width trade-off

Bulkhead seats are usually a little narrower, often by about half an inch. The tray table and screen live inside the armrests, which are fixed and immovable. On 737s this is especially tight. If you're hoping to raise the armrest and steal a little extra space, bulkhead seats usually won't let you.

The extra-legroom paradox

In a standard seat, your feet slide under the seat ahead. At the bulkhead, your feet hit a wall. On narrowbodies, passengers around 6'1" and taller often say bulkhead seats feel more cramped than expected. On widebody aircraft (777, 787, A350), the legroom is genuinely generous.

You can be displaced

Under federal law, passengers with service animals or immobilized legs have priority for bulkhead seats. Airlines also use bulkhead rows for on-board wheelchairs. You can pay extra for the seat and still be moved.

Center bulkhead seats can turn into walkways (widebody)

On twin-aisle aircraft, center bulkhead seats (D/E/F/G) become a pedestrian crossing between aisles. People cut through your legroom to move between aisles, and lavatory lines can spill into that space too.

First & business class bulkheads

In premium cabins, bulkhead seats are often the best seats on the plane. Lie-flat suites, extra-wide footwells, and maximum privacy. The trade-off (no underseat storage) barely matters when you have a private suite with dedicated overhead space.

Alaska Airlines

Boeing 737 MAX 9Standard

The quick answer

What is a bulkhead seat?

The bulkhead trade-off

What you gain

What you lose

Hard wall vs. curtain

Hard wall

Curtain divider

What experienced travelers know

The seat-width trade-off

The extra-legroom paradox

You can be displaced

Center bulkhead seats can turn into walkways (widebody)

First & business class bulkheads

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Delta Air Lines

JetBlue Airways

Spirit Airlines

United Airlines

Premium economy bulkheads

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Frontier Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines

JetBlue Airways

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

Economy bulkheads

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Delta Air Lines

JetBlue Airways

United Airlines

Worst bulkhead seat we rate

Should you pick the bulkhead?

See every seat rated

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