Smartwings

Smartwings is the Czech Republic's largest airline, a Prague-based leisure and charter carrier that flies holidaymakers from central Europe to the Mediterranean, the Canaries, north Africa and the Red Sea. The flying is seasonal and sun-driven, which shapes the fleet toward single-class economy jets built to carry as many passengers as the route allows. Expect package-holiday timings, early departures and full cabins on the popular beach runs.

The fleet is almost entirely single-aisle Boeing and Airbus economy metal. The 737-800 is the long-serving backbone, joined by the stretched 737-900ER for the denser routes and the newer, quieter 737 MAX 8 on the longer sun sectors. The A220-300 is the smallest jet in the mix, a five-abreast Airbus that feels roomier per seat than the Boeings. Across all of them the cabin is a single economy class, so seat strategy is about position rather than product.

Every Smartwings jet is a one-class economy cabin, which keeps the choice simple, where you sit matters more than what you book. The A220 is the pick for comfort, its two-by-three layout means the aisle side of the pair has no middle to negotiate. The 737s run the usual three-by-three, where the trade-offs are the familiar ones, forward of the wing for quiet, near an exit for legroom, away from the galleys and lavatories for a calmer few hours.

Because it is all one class, the free levers are position and timing. Ask for a row forward of the wing if engine noise bothers you, and one near a mid-cabin exit if you want more room to stretch on a four-hour Canaries leg. On the A220, the left-hand pair of seats is the quiet win, two seats and an aisle with no middle to share. On the denser 737-900ER and the high-density MAX layout, the rear fills last but sits closest to the lavatories, so trade the extra elbow room against the through-traffic before you pick.