PIA

Pakistan International Airlines is the country's flag carrier, flying a mix of single-aisle Airbus jets on regional and domestic routes and Boeing 777 widebodies on the long hauls to Europe, North America and the Gulf. The seat you get varies a great deal by aircraft: the narrowbody A320 is a straightforward single-class economy jet, while the 777 fleet carries proper multi-cabin layouts with a premium economy and, on one configuration, a full business class. Knowing which aircraft is scheduled tells you most of what you need about the cabin.

On the short and medium routes PIA flies the Airbus A320, a three-by-three single-aisle jet where the whole cabin is one class. The long-haul workhorse is the Boeing 777, and PIA runs several fits of it. Most 777s pair a premium economy cabin with a large economy, while one three-cabin configuration adds a separate business class up front. The three-by-three-by-three economy layout on the 777 is dense, so on that aircraft the cabin position you pick makes a real difference to the flight.

The gap between PIA's cabins is wide. On the A320 the front rows are sometimes sold as business, but the seat is the same three-by-three economy seat as the rest of the aircraft, so treat it as a position choice rather than a different product. On the 777s the premium economy is a real step up with more pitch and recline, and the three-class 777 adds a business cabin that is the real front-of-aircraft experience for the long routes to London or the North American gateways. Economy on the widebodies is standard nine-abreast long-haul seating.

On the A320, since the seat does not change, choose by where you want to sit: a forward row for a quicker exit, an over-wing row for a steadier ride, or the very front if you have paid up for the extra space and empty adjacent. On the 777s the premium economy cabin is worth it on the longest sectors if you value pitch and a calmer cabin. In economy, aim for a seat away from the galleys and lavatories at the cabin boundaries, and check which fit is flying, since the three-class 777 shifts where economy begins.