Air India Express 737 MAX 8 Seat Selection Guide (2026)

The exit row you pay for is the one that doesn't recline

Air India Express puts two overwing exits on the 737 MAX 8, which creates two rows with extra legroom. Both are sold at a premium. On both configurations of the aircraft, the forward one of the pair cannot fully recline, because the row behind it has to keep a clear path to the exit.

This is the single most expensive mistake available on this aircraft, and it is invisible on a booking map, where the two rows look identical and cost the same.

Row 14 on the 176-seater and row 16 on the 189-seater are the only rows on this aircraft where all six seats are rated well — A through F, window to window. If you are paying to sit forward of the wing exits, those are the two row numbers worth remembering. The trap is that which number applies depends on which jet turns up.

The version lottery: 176 seats or 189

Air India Express flies the MAX 8 in two cabin layouts, and they are not variations on a theme — one has a business cabin and the other does not.

The 176-seat jet carries eight Biz recliners in a 2-2 layout across rows 1 and 2, then economy from row 3 to row 30. These airframes came to Air India Express already fitted with a business cabin: they were built to another carrier's specification and redirected when that order was not taken up, which is why the cabin exists on so few aircraft. Only two aircraft fly this layout.

The 189-seat jet is single-class from row 1 to row 32. No fleet count for it has been published anywhere we can verify, so we are not going to quote one or turn it into odds. What we can give you instead is a tell you can check on the booking screen before you pay.

Cabin comparison

Biz cabin — 176-seat jet only

Eight seats in a 2-2 layout across rows 1 and 2, lettered A and C on the left, D and F on the right. These are recliners, not lie-flat beds, and the cabin has its own lavatory — one for eight passengers, which is the best ratio anywhere on the aircraft.

Half the cabin has direct aisle access: 1C, 1D, 2C and 2D are aisle seats. The window seats, 1A, 1F, 2A and 2F, require climbing past a neighbour.

• Best: row 1 — 1A, 1C, 1D and 1F. The bulkhead gives the whole row extra room ahead. All four are rated well.
• 1C gets a small extra: the bulkhead ahead of it covers only about 80% of the row, leaving a gap on its right that opens up a little more foot space.
• Row 2 is a perfectly ordinary pair of recliners. Nothing wrong with it, nothing special about it — if row 1 is gone, you lose only the bulkhead space.

Economy on the 176-seat jet (rows 3–30)

A standard 3-3 cabin, A/B/C on the left and D/E/F on the right, 168 seats served by two lavatories at the back. That is 84 passengers per lavatory, and it is the reason the back of this jet is worth avoiding on anything longer than a couple of hours.

Row 3 is a bulkhead that is worse than a normal seat

The first economy row backs onto the Biz cabin divider, and on a booking map it reads as the usual bulkhead prize. It is the opposite. The seat sits 41cm — 16 inches — from the wall, which is less room than a typical bulkhead gives you, not more. On top of that, all six seats lose underseat storage (there is nothing in front to put a bag under) and the tray tables live in the armrests, which narrows the effective seat.

So you get a tighter seat, a narrower seat, and nowhere to put your bag during taxi. Two seats claw a little back: 3C has a partial wall ahead covering about 70% of the position, and 3D about 75%, each leaving a gap toward the aisle. It is not enough to make the row worth choosing.

Best economy seats

• Row 14 — 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 14F. Extra legroom from the exit ahead, a recline that works, and nothing behind it. The best six seats in the cabin, and the only full row rated well end to end.
• 21A and 21F, 23A and 23F, 25A and 25F. Ordinary economy, but these six have properly aligned windows and sit clear of the galleys and lavatories — the pick if you want a view and are not paying for legroom.

Economy seats to avoid

• Row 30 — the whole row. Last row: the seats do not recline at all, there is a lavatory immediately behind, and 30B through 30E also back onto the galley. Worst six seats on the aircraft.
• Row 29 — the whole row. Immediately adjacent to the lavatory behind. Noise, queuing and odours.
• Row 28 is one row further from it, and noticeably better than 29 or 30 for it, but still in the queue zone.
• Row 3 — see above.
• Rows 12 and 13 if recline matters to you. Row 12 gets the restriction without any of the legroom.
• Window seats with a poor view: 12A, 12F, 15A, 15F, 20A and 20F have the window set behind the seat — you lean back to see out. 10A and 10F have the opposite problem, with the window forward of the seat. 9A is also misaligned.

Economy on the 189-seat jet (rows 1–32)

Single-class, 3-3, 189 seats, three lavatories. The front of this cabin is drawn in a way that confuses almost every booking engine, and understanding it is worth real money.

The front of the cabin is staggered, and it hands out free pitch

There is no 1D, 1E or 1F. A lavatory sits in that corner, so row 1 exists only on the left side as 1A, 1B and 1C. The right side of the cabin therefore begins at row 2, and 2D/2E/2F are the bulkhead seats on that side.

Because the two sides start one row apart, they take four rows to fall back into step — and the right side is drawn with slightly more room between rows while they do. The result is that 3D, 3E, 3F and 6D, 6E, 6F carry about 31″ of pitch against a cabin standard of about 29″. Two extra inches, in ordinary economy, at no charge, on seats no booking engine flags as special.

The bulkhead rows are a mixed deal

1A, 1B, 1C and 2D, 2E, 2F all get extra legroom from the bulkhead. They also all lose underseat storage and have the tray table in the armrest, which narrows the seat. 1B additionally sits beside the forward lavatory and its queue. Worth it if legroom is the only thing you care about; otherwise 3D/3E/3F give you most of the benefit and none of the penalties.

1C has a partial bulkhead covering about 60% of the position, leaving a usable gap on its right — the pick of the six if you want the bulkhead.

Best economy seats

• Row 16 — all six seats. Extra legroom, full recline, the best row on the jet.
• 3D, 3E, 3F and 6D, 6E. The free two inches described above.
• 2A, 4A, 7A, 7F, 10A, 10F, 23A, 23F, 25A and 25F. Clean window seats with properly aligned glass, clear of the service areas. 2A is the pick at the front — it sits behind the row 1 bulkhead without inheriting any of its penalties.

Economy seats to avoid

• 12A and 12F — no window at all. These two positions face solid wall. They are sold and displayed as window seats. If the view matters, this is the pair to steer around.
• Row 32 — the whole row. Last row, no recline, lavatory immediately behind, and 32B through 32E back onto the galley.
• Row 31 — the whole row. Directly adjacent to the rear lavatory. 31A and 31F also have misaligned windows, so they give up the view as well.
• Row 30 — one row clear of the lavatory, but still in the queue.
• Rows 14 and 15 if you want to recline. Row 14 is the bad half of that trade — the restriction, none of the legroom.
• Misaligned windows: 1A, 6A, 6F, 11A, 17A, 17F, 22A, 22F, 31A and 31F all have the glass set behind the seat.

Quick-pick summary

What you don't get on either jet

Air India Express is a low-cost carrier and the MAX 8 cabin reflects that. There are no seatback screens on either configuration — bring your own device and something to prop it on. No Wi-Fi is fitted on either layout, so plan for a disconnected flight. Power is at the seat via USB.

The seats themselves are Collins slimline units, roughly 17″ wide, at a standard pitch of about 29″ — which is what makes the six seats at 31″ on the 189-seater, and the exit rows on both, worth the attention.

A note on a possible third layout

Air India Express has said publicly that its MAX 8s are delivered with either four or eight Biz seats fitted. Only the eight-seat version and the all-economy version appear on any seat plan we have been able to verify, and a four-seat layout would put economy's first row at row 2 rather than row 3. We have not verified a four-seat cabin against a seat plan, so we are not giving row numbers for one — if your booking map shows a two-row business cabin with only one row of seats in it, treat the economy row numbers in this guide as shifted by one and check the exit rows on the map itself.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best seat on the Air India Express 737 MAX 8?

Row 14 on the 176-seat jet, or row 16 on the 189-seat jet. Both are the rear exit row: extra legroom with a recline that still works. All six seats in each row are good, so the letter is down to whether you want the window or the aisle.

Is the bulkhead row worth paying for?

On the 176-seat jet, no. Row 3 is measured at 16 inches to the wall and has less room than a standard seat, plus no underseat storage and a narrower tray-in-armrest seat. On the 189-seat jet the bulkhead rows (1A–1C and 2D–2F) do give real extra legroom, but you still lose underseat storage — and 3D, 3E and 3F give you two extra inches of pitch with none of the drawbacks.

Does the Air India Express MAX 8 have business class?

Some of them. The 176-seat configuration has eight Biz recliners in a 2-2 layout at rows 1 and 2, with their own lavatory. The 189-seat configuration is single-class. Only two aircraft fly the Biz layout, and no fleet count has been published for the all-economy one, so check the seat map on your specific booking rather than assuming.

Are there any seats without a window?

Yes, on the 189-seat jet: 12A and 12F face solid wall. A further ten seats on that layout — 1A, 6A, 6F, 11A, 17A, 17F, 22A, 22F, 31A and 31F — have a window that sits behind the seat, so you can see out, but only by leaning back. The 176-seat jet has no windowless seats, though 12A, 12F, 15A, 15F, 20A and 20F are all misaligned.

Is there Wi-Fi or in-flight entertainment?

Neither. There is no Wi-Fi and no seatback entertainment on either configuration. There is USB power at the seat, so bring a device with content already loaded.

How many lavatories are there?

The 176-seat jet has two for 168 economy passengers — 84 each, which is a poor ratio — plus a dedicated one for the eight Biz seats. The 189-seat jet has three, at 63 passengers each. On both, the rows immediately in front of the rear lavatories are the ones to avoid.

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