Air Côte d'Ivoire

Air Côte d'Ivoire is the flag carrier of Ivory Coast, flying out of Abidjan across West and Central Africa with a longer reach to Paris. For a regional carrier its cabin range is unusually deep: the narrowbodies and the turboprop carry a real business cabin, and the A330-900 runs a four-cabin layout that puts a First seat at the front.

If you are choosing a seat on this airline, the aircraft matters more than the route. The same Abidjan departure can be a two-class A320 or a four-class widebody, and the seat you want on one is not the seat you want on the other.

The workhorses are the Airbus narrowbodies: two A319 layouts, an A320 and an A320neo, each split into a forward business cabin and a larger economy. The two A319s differ mainly in how many business rows sit up front, so the point where economy begins shifts between them.

The long-haul aircraft is the A330-900, laid out in four cabins from First through Business and Premium Economy to economy. The regional network also leans on a Dash 8-400 turboprop that carries a proper recliner business seat rather than a curtain across shared economy rows.

Business on the narrowbodies and the turboprop is a recliner with a wider seat and more room to stretch, set at the front where boarding and the galley service reach you first. It is a step up from economy in width and pitch rather than a lie-flat suite, which suits the short and medium sectors these aircraft fly.

Economy is a standard configuration across the fleet. The seats near the front of the economy cabin and the exit rows give you the most legroom, while rows against a galley or lavatory wall are the ones to check before you commit.

The A330-900 is where the experience widens out. First and Business sit ahead of a distinct Premium Economy cabin, so on the Paris run you have a genuine choice of comfort levels rather than a single premium row.

On the A319 and A320 aircraft, ask for a forward economy row or an exit row for the most legroom, and check whether your row backs onto the galley wall before you settle on it. Business rows up front give you the widest seat and the quietest boarding.

On the A330-900, decide which of the four cabins matches your trip before you look at individual seats. Premium Economy is the sweet spot on the Paris sector if you want more room without the First or Business fare, and the seats it offers are worth comparing row by row.

On the Dash 8-400, the business recliner up front is the seat to hold out for on a longer regional hop, and in economy the rows ahead of the wing tend to feel quieter.