Air China 737-800 Seat Selection Guide (2026)

First: there is no D, E or F seat

Air China letters both 737-800 cabins A B C | J K L. Business is A and C on the left, J and L on the right. Economy adds B and K as the middles. If you have been assigned 20D or 14E, you are not looking at this aircraft — and if you are hunting for "the F window seat" out of habit, the right-hand window here is L.

The lottery: the good row moves by two

Air China flies 50 of the 159-seat 737-800 and 31 of the 167-seat one. Both are 3-3 economy cabins starting at row 11. The difference that matters is where the overwing exits fall.

How to tell which one you are on

Read the last row number on the booking map. If economy stops at row 35 you are on the 159-seat jet. If it runs to row 37, the 167-seat one. It is unambiguous and it is visible before you pay.

A second check, if the map is cropped: count the Business rows. Three rows of four (12 seats) is the 159; two rows (8 seats) is the 167. And a third: on the 159-seat jet economy's last row is 35J, 35K, 35L only — three seats on the right-hand side with nothing opposite. On the 167 the same thing happens at 37J, 37K, 37L.

Row 11 is not the bulkhead prize it looks like

Economy starts at row 11 on both aircraft, hard against the Business divider. On a booking map that reads as the classic bulkhead row: nothing in front, stretch out.

It is the opposite. Row 11 has less legroom than a normal seat on both variants — the wall sits closer than a typical bulkhead, at about 49cm (19in) on the 159-seat jet and just 41 to 42cm (16in) on the 167. The denser aircraft has the tighter one. On top of that the whole row loses underseat storage, and the tray table lives in the armrest, which narrows the seat you actually sit in.

Two seats claw a little back: 11C sits at a partial bulkhead covering about 70% of its width, and 11J at one covering 75%, so each has some extra room on one side. It is a consolation, not a reason to book the row.

The exit rows: the first one is the wrong one

Both aircraft put two rows at the overwing exits, and on both the pattern is the same — the first of the pair loses its recline, the second one keeps it.

On the 159-seat jet: row 19 measures about 38 inches at 19A, 19J, 19K and 19L (about 37 at 19B and 19C) — but the whole row has a restricted recline because the exit behind needs a clear path. Row 20 has the same 38 inches and reclines properly. Row 18 is worse still: restricted recline, no extra space at all.

On the 167-seat jet: the identical pattern, shifted two rows aft. Row 21 has the pitch (about 38 inches at 21J, 21K, 21L; 37 at 21B and 21C) and the recline restriction. Row 22 has the extra legroom and a full recline across all six seats. Row 20 is the one with the restriction and nothing to show for it.

Business Class

A 2-2 recliner cabin, A C | J L, three rows on the 159-seat jet and two on the 167. Half the seats have direct aisle access, which is what 2-2 means: the window passenger steps past the aisle passenger.

Row 1 leads the cabin with extra room ahead at the bulkhead, and 1A, 1C, 1J and 1L all carry it. One caveat worth knowing: 1C's bulkhead is 85% covered, so the gap on its right side gives very little practical benefit. If you are choosing between them, 1A and 1L are the cleanest picks.

On the 159-seat aircraft, row 3 is the back of the cabin and the closest to the economy divider. On the 167 that role falls to row 2.

The seats to avoid

15A, on the 159-seat jet, has no window at all — a blank wall in a window seat position. It is the only fully windowless seat on either aircraft, and nothing on a booking map marks it.

On the 167-seat jet the equivalent problem is spread across three seats rather than concentrated in one: 17A, 18A and 18L have no window aligned to the seat. There is glass in the row, but not where you are sitting. 18A and 18L look forward to it; 17A looks back.

The last row does not recline on either aircraft — 35J, 35K and 35L on the 159; 37J, 37K and 37L on the 167. Both sit against the rear galley with lavatories immediately ahead, and the row in front of each (34 and 36) is immediately adjacent to a lavatory door.

Milder window problems, if the view is why you are choosing: 12A, 12L, 14A, 14L and 25A on the 159-seat jet, and 27A on the 167 — each has glass set behind the seat, visible with a lean.

Quick-Pick Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I tell which Air China 737-800 I am booked on?

Read the last row number on the seat map. Row 35 means the 159-seat jet; row 37 means the 167-seat one. You can also count Business rows — three rows for the 159, two for the 167.

Which is the best economy seat?

Row 20 on the 159-seat aircraft, row 22 on the 167-seat one. Both give roughly 38 inches of pitch — about six more than the cabin standard — with a full recline. The row immediately ahead of each has similar pitch and a restricted recline, which is the trap.

Why is row 11 bad if it is a bulkhead?

Because the wall sits closer than a normal bulkhead — about 19 inches on the 159-seat jet and 16 on the 167 — so it has less room than an ordinary seat, not more. It also loses underseat storage and puts the tray table in the armrest.

Are there any seats with no window?

One: 15A on the 159-seat aircraft, which faces a blank wall. On the 167-seat jet, 17A, 18A and 18L have glass in the row but none aligned to the seat.

Do Air China's 737-800s have seatback screens?

The 159-seat variant's cabin record documents overhead screens showing looped content — so no personal on-demand screen. The 167-seat variant's entertainment is not documented, so we make no claim about it either way.

Why are there no D, E or F seats?

Air China letters both cabins A B C | J K L. It is a common convention on Chinese carriers and it catches people out — the right-hand window is L, not F.

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