Air Canada CRJ-900 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
✈️ Quick Verdict
Aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-900, Air Canada Express, 29 aircraft
Configuration: 12 Business / 64 Economy = 76 seats
Layout: Business 1-2 (A | D F); Economy 2-2 (A C | D F)
Version lottery: No — one configuration
Best seats: 2A, 3A, 4A in Business; 20A/20F at the exit; 13C/13D for pitch
Seats to avoid: 16A, 16F, 17A, 17F (no usable view); 1F; rows 26 and 27
Row numbering: Business 1–4, then Economy from 12. No B or E seat on board
Wi-Fi: Intelsat multi-orbit Ku-band
Business is 1-2, and that changes everything
⚠️ Every A seat in Business is a solo seat
The CRJ-900 Business cabin is a single seat on the left and a pair on the right — A | D F. That makes 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A single seats with direct aisle access, no neighbour, and nobody to climb over. They are the best seats on the aircraft and they cost the same as the paired D and F seats across the aisle. There is no B, C or E seat anywhere in Business.
Which A seat?
- 2A, 3A or 4A — the pick. Solo, quiet, and clear of the forward lavatory.
- 1A — also solo and first off the aircraft, but it sits at the front of the cabin next to the forward galley and lavatory area.
- 1F is the seat to avoid. It sits directly behind the forward lavatory with the door facing it. It is the only poorly-rated seat in Business.
Economy starts at row 12
There are no rows 5 to 11 on this aircraft. Economy runs from row 12 to row 27 in a 2-2 layout lettered A C | D F — C and D are the aisle pair, and there is no B or E seat.
⚠️ 16A, 16F, 17A and 17F have no usable window view
A window is fitted at each of these four seats, but it sits so far behind the seat that there is nothing to look at from it. This is the wing box, and it is not marked on any booking map — all four are sold as ordinary window seats.
There is no clean answer to "which economy window should I book instead", and it is worth being straight about that. 12A and 12F are the best-rated window seats in the cabin, but they sit in the bulkhead row — no underseat storage, tray table in the armrest. Every window from row 13 through row 18 is misaligned, so you lean forward to see out. The only seats with the glass squarely beside them are 26A, 26F, 27A and 27F, and those sit at the rear lavatory, which is why they rate poorly overall. Pick whichever trade you mind least.
The pitch is not where you would expect
Rows 13 and 14 have more pitch than the exit rows
Row 13 sits at about 37" and row 14 at about 36" — roughly three inches above the rest of the cabin, and more than either exit row. The catch is that it only helps in the aisle seats: 13C, 13D, 14C and 14D rate well, while 13A, 13F, 14A and 14F have misaligned windows. If you want legroom and do not care about the view, those four aisle seats are the quiet pick on this aeroplane.
The exit rows
Rows 19 and 20 are the exit pair, and both have the extra legroom. Row 19 does not fully recline — it sits ahead of the second exit and has to keep the path clear. Row 20 does, and all four of its seats rate well. If you are choosing between them, row 20 every time.
Row 18 is the row to skip: it is ahead of the first exit, so it loses its recline, gains no legroom, and 18A and 18F have misaligned windows on top of that.
The back of the aircraft
- Row 27 — the last row. It does not recline, it backs onto the lavatory bulkhead, and all four seats rate poorly. 27A and 27F do have the best window alignment on the aircraft, which is a genuine consolation and not much of one.
- Row 26 — one row ahead of the lavatory and inside the queue. 26C, 26D and 26F rate poorly; 26A is the pick of a bad row and has an excellent window.
Quick picks
| If you are… | Book | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Flying Business alone | 2A, 3A or 4A | Solo seat, own aisle, no neighbour |
| Flying Business as a pair | 2D + 2F or 3D + 3F | The only true pairs in the cabin |
| After economy legroom | 20A / 20F | Exit row that still reclines |
| After legroom on the aisle | 13C / 13D | 37" pitch — more than the exit rows |
| After a window | 12A / 12F | Best-rated windows — accept the bulkhead trade |
| Getting off first | 12C or 12D | First economy row — accept the bulkhead trade |
| Avoiding a mistake | Not 16A, 16F, 17A, 17F | Sold as windows, no usable view |
Comparable guides
- Air Canada E175 seat guide
- Air Canada Dash 8-400 seat guide
- Air Canada A220-300 seat guide
- Air Canada A320 seat guide
Frequently asked questions
What is the best seat on the Air Canada CRJ-900?
2A, 3A or 4A in Business. The cabin is 1-2, so those are single seats with their own aisle access and no neighbour, at the same fare as the paired seats opposite.
Why is there no seat B or E?
The CRJ-900 is a narrow aircraft. Business is 1-2 lettered A | D F, and Economy is 2-2 lettered A C | D F. Neither cabin has a B or an E seat, and Economy has no middle seat at all.
Which economy seats should I avoid?
16A, 16F, 17A and 17F — all four are sold as window seats but sit at the wing box with no usable view. Also rows 26 and 27 at the rear lavatory, and row 18, which loses its recline to the exit behind it without gaining any legroom.
Where is the most legroom in economy?
Row 20, the second exit row, which has the extra space and still reclines. Rows 13 and 14 actually have more pitch — about 37" and 36" — but only the C and D aisle seats are worth taking there, because the window seats are misaligned.
Does the CRJ-900 have wi-fi and seatback screens?
The aircraft carries Intelsat multi-orbit Ku-band wi-fi. No seatback entertainment system is recorded for this type, so plan to bring your own device.