Avelo Airlines 737-800 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Avelo's 737-800 has two exit rows, back to back over the wing, both with the most legroom on the aircraft. On the seat map they look identical. They aren't: the seats in row 20 don't recline, because row 21 is another exit row directly behind them. Row 21 has the same legroom and does recline. If you're paying for an exit row on Avelo, it should be row 21.
That matters more on Avelo than on most airlines, because the seat is the whole product. Avelo is an ultra-low-cost carrier with an all-economy cabin: 189 seats in a 3-3 layout, around 29 inches of pitch in a standard seat, and, according to Avelo, no in-seat power, no Wi-Fi and no seatback screens. Charge everything before you board and download what you want to watch.
✈️ Quick Verdict
| Aircraft | Boeing 737-800 (Avelo's main type) |
| Fleet | Avelo's fleet page lists 14 737-800s and one 737-700 |
| Configuration | 189 seats, all economy (Standard, Stretch and Stretch+) |
| Layout | 3-3, seats A–F |
| Version lottery | One 737-800 layout. The 149-seat 737-700 is now rare (see below) |
| Best seats | Exit row 21 (most legroom, and it reclines); Stretch rows 22–23 if you want your bag at your feet |
| Seats to avoid | Row 15 and exit row 20 (no recline), 11A (no window), row 37 (limited recline, by the rear lavatories) |
| Seatback screens | None |
| Power | None. No outlets or USB ports |
| Wi-Fi | None |
How Avelo's Seats Are Sold: Standard, Stretch and Stretch+
Every seat on the 737-800 is the same 17-inch-wide economy seat. What changes is the space in front of it:
- Standard: about 29 inches of pitch. That's tight for anyone much over 5'10", and normal for a US ultra-low-cost carrier.
- Stretch: extra-legroom seats, which Avelo puts at 32 inches to more than 36 inches of pitch. They sit at the front of the cabin and in and just behind the overwing exit rows.
- Stretch+: a Stretch seat with the middle seat beside it left empty. Which rows are sold as Stretch+ on a given flight is shown in the booking seat map.
The legroom isn't spread evenly across the Stretch rows. The exit rows give the most. Front-cabin Stretch seats give noticeably less, so if legroom is the whole reason you're paying, the exit rows are better value.
The Row Numbers Skip
Avelo's 737-800 rows run 1–37, but not every number exists. There is no row 13, and rows 16 to 19 are missing: row 15 sits directly in front of exit row 20. Don't use the row number to judge how far back you'll be. Row 20 is roughly mid-cabin, not two-thirds of the way back.
Front Cabin: Rows 1–7
The front of the aircraft isn't symmetrical. Row 1 has seats on the left only (1A, 1B, 1C). On the right, the first row is row 2.
- 1A–1C and 2D–2F (bulkheads): first off the plane, but these seats have no under-seat storage during taxi, take-off and landing, and the tray table folds out of the armrest. Row 1 is also next to the forward lavatory and galley, so expect a queue beside you on longer flights.
- Rows 2–4 ABC and 3–7 DEF (Stretch): the best choice if you want to be off the aircraft quickly and keep your bag under the seat in front.
- Rows 5–7 ABC: standard-pitch seats across the aisle from Stretch seats. Same row number, less legroom. Check the seat type before you assume.
Mid-Cabin: Rows 8–15
Standard seats, and the two traps that most often catch people in a standard seat:
- 11A has no window. It's a window seat in name only. 12A and 12F have windows that sit out of line with the seat, so you'll be craning forward or back to see out.
- Row 15 doesn't recline. It backs onto the exit row, so the seatbacks are fixed. On a short hop it hardly matters. On a three-hour run to Florida, pick row 14 instead.
Exit Rows 20 and 21: Same Legroom, Different Seat
Both exit rows have about 37 inches of pitch, the most on the aircraft. Both lose under-seat storage, so everything goes in the overhead bin, and both carry the usual exit-row conditions (aged 15 or over, willing and able to help in an evacuation). The difference:
- Row 20: no recline. The seatbacks are fixed so they can't block the exit path for row 21.
- Row 21: reclines. The same legroom, plus a seat that moves. This is the best seat on Avelo's 737-800.
The window seats in both rows (20A, 20F, 21A, 21F) sit right over the wing, beside the exit doors. Expect a wing view and a cooler draught near the door. The aisle seats (C and D) give you the legroom without the chill.
Rows 22–23: The Underrated Stretch Seats
Directly behind the exit rows, rows 22 and 23 are Stretch seats with normal under-seat storage. You give up a few inches against row 21, but you keep your bag at your feet, the seats recline, and there are no exit-row conditions to meet, so children can sit here. For families paying for extra legroom, this is the pick.
Rear Cabin: Rows 24–37
Fourteen rows of standard seats. Rows 24–25 window seats look onto the trailing edge of the wing, and by row 26 the view is clear. The 737-800 has three lavatories, one at the front and two at the back, so the last rows see the most foot traffic:
- Row 36: close to the rear lavatories.
- Row 37 (last row): limited recline, beside both the lavatories and the rear galley. These are usually the last seats assigned, so if you skip seat selection on a full flight, this is where you're likely to land.
If You Get the 737-700
In January 2026 Avelo said it would remove six of its 737-700s and concentrate on the 737-800, and the smaller jet came off the regular schedule in February 2026. Avelo's fleet page still lists one, so it can turn up as a substitute. If your booking shows 149 seats rather than 189, this is the aircraft you're on, and the seat map works differently:
- 149 seats, 3-3, rows 1–34, with no rows 12 to 19. Row 1 has seats on both sides.
- Front Stretch block: rows 1–5 ABC and rows 1–4 DEF. 5D–5F are standard seats.
- 8A and 8F have no window. On the 737-700 the windowless pair is in row 8, not row 11.
- Row 11 doesn't recline, because it backs onto the exit area.
- The exit area is odd. Row 20 is just two seats, 20D and 20E, with limited recline. In row 21, the left-side seats (21A–21C) and 21F are exit-row seats with the most legroom; 21D and 21E are ordinary Stretch seats. Best pick: 21A–21C or 21F.
- Back of the plane: 33D–33F don't recline, and the last row is just three seats (34A–34C), which don't recline either. 34A has no window. There are two lavatories, one at each end, so rows 1, 33 and 34 sit beside them.
Power, Wi-Fi and screens are the same as on the 737-800: there aren't any.
737-800 vs 737-700 at a Glance
| Feature | 737-800 | 737-700 |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | 189 | 149 |
| Extra-legroom seats (per Avelo) | 57 | 44 |
| Rows | 1–37 (no 13, no 16–19) | 1–34 (no 12–19) |
| Exit rows | 20 (no recline) and 21 | 20D–E, 21A–C, 21F |
| No window | 11A | 8A, 8F, 34A |
| No recline | Rows 15 and 20 (limited in row 37) | Row 11, 33D–F, row 34 (limited in 20D–E) |
| Lavatories | 3 | 2 |
| Power / Wi-Fi / screens | None | None |
Quick-Pick Summary
| Traveller | Best pick (737-800) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Legroom priority | 21C or 21D | Most legroom, reclines, away from the draughty door |
| Solo, window | 2A–4A (Stretch) or 26A–30A (Standard) | Proper window, clear of the wing |
| Couple | 22D–E or 23A–B | Stretch legroom without exit-row rules |
| Family with kids | Rows 22–23 | Extra legroom, under-seat storage, children allowed |
| Quick exit | Rows 3–4 (Stretch) | Near the door, with under-seat storage |
| Budget | Rows 8–10 or 26–30 | Standard seats that recline, with windows and no lavatory queue |
Where Avelo Flies It
The 737-800 flies the whole Avelo network out of its bases at New Haven (HVN), Wilmington, Delaware (ILG, for Philadelphia), Concord, North Carolina (USA, for Charlotte) and Lakeland (LAL) in Central Florida, with a new base at McKinney, near Dallas, from late 2026. Much of that network is leisure flying, especially to Florida (Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale), and those are exactly the flights where the seat matters. A two-and-a-half-hour run south with no screen and no charger is a long time in a 29-inch-pitch seat that doesn't recline. Avelo has also ordered Embraer E195-E2s, which are due from 2027.
Comparable Guides
- Sun Country 737-800 Seat Guide: the same aircraft at another US leisure carrier
- Allegiant 737 MAX 8 Seat Guide: ultra-low-cost, also built around small-city leisure routes
- Breeze Airways A220-300 Seat Guide: Avelo's closest rival on point-to-point routes
- Frontier A321ceo Seat Guide: another ultra-low-cost cabin at tight pitch
FAQ
What is the best seat on Avelo's 737-800?
Exit row 21, ideally an aisle seat (21C or 21D). It has the most legroom on the aircraft, and unlike exit row 20 in front of it, it reclines.
Do Avelo seats recline?
Most do, but only slightly. Row 15 and exit row 20 don't recline at all, and the last row (37) has limited recline. On the 737-700, row 11, 33D–33F and row 34 are fixed.
Does Avelo have power outlets, Wi-Fi or seatback screens?
No. Avelo says its aircraft have no in-seat power and no Wi-Fi, and there are no seatback screens. Board with a charged phone and downloaded entertainment.
What's the difference between Stretch and Stretch+?
Stretch is an extra-legroom seat (32 to more than 36 inches of pitch, according to Avelo). Stretch+ adds an empty middle seat beside you.
Why does Avelo's seat map jump from row 15 to row 20?
Rows 16 to 19 don't exist on the 737-800 (and row 13 is skipped too). Row 15 is directly in front of the first exit row, which is why it can't recline.
How do I know if I'm on the 737-700?
The seat map will show 149 seats and rows only up to 34, with nothing numbered 12 to 19. Avelo has largely retired the type, so most flights are on the 189-seat 737-800.