Delta Airbus A220-100 & A220-300 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Delta's Airbus A220 is the most popular narrowbody in the sky — and for good reason. Originally ordered as the Bombardier C Series, this clean-sheet aircraft offers the widest economy seats in Delta's fleet, only one middle seat per row, enormous windows, seatback IFE screens at every seat, free Wi-Fi, and some of the quietest engines flying today. If you're assigned an A220, you've already won the aircraft lottery.
Delta operates two variants: the A220-100 (109 seats, 45 aircraft) and the A220-300 (130 seats). They share the same cabin product and seat types — the -300 is simply a stretched fuselage with more Delta Comfort and Main Cabin rows, and on the -300 the exit rows are Delta Comfort. This guide covers both.
ℹImportant: The A220 is not an A320 or a 737. The entire economy cabin uses a 2-3 layout — two seats on the left, three on the right — meaning there is only one middle seat per row instead of two. This is the A220's signature advantage.
Quick Verdict
- No version lottery on either variant. All A220-100s are identical; all A220-300s are identical.
- Seatback IFE at every seat — 13.3" screens in First, 10.1" in Delta Comfort and Main Cabin. Plus free Wi-Fi (Delta Sync, nearly fleet-wide).
- Best First Class (both): 2A/2D or 3A/3D — mid-cabin, away from bulkhead restrictions.
- Best Delta Comfort (both): 10A/10B — first C+ row with massive legroom and no hard bulkhead ahead.
- Best Economy (A220-100): 15C or 15D in the exit row (about 36" pitch; 15D has no seat beside it), or 15B.
- Best exit-row seats (A220-300, sold as Delta Comfort): 17B (no seat beside it — arguably the best economy seat in Delta's entire fleet), then 17D (also no neighbour) or 17C.
- Avoid: The last two rows on either variant (28–29 on the -100, 32–33 on the -300), and 19A/19E on the -300, which have no usable window. Row 1 in First is a caveat rather than a seat to avoid.
Delta A220 at a Glance
| Variant | Code | First Class | Delta Comfort | Main Cabin | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A220-100 | 221 | 12 | 15 | 82 | 109 |
| A220-300 | 223 | 12 | 43 | 75 | 130 |
Fleet size: 45 A220-100s (deliveries complete), plus a growing A220-300 fleet. Delta is the world's largest A220 operator.
How to Identify This Aircraft
On Delta.com and the Fly Delta app, the A220-100 shows as "Airbus A220-100" (code 221) and the A220-300 as "Airbus A220-300" (code 223).
| Indicator | A220-100 | A220-300 | Not an A220 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta.com code | 221 | 223 | 319, 320, 321, etc. |
| Total seats | 109 | 130 | 132 (A319), 150 (A320) |
| Economy layout | 2-3 | 2-3 | 3-3 on A320/737 |
| First Class rows | 3 rows | 3 rows | Varies |
| Windows | Noticeably larger | Noticeably larger | Standard |
Quick tell: If your seat map shows a 2-3 economy layout, you're on an A220. No other Delta narrowbody uses this configuration.
Seat Map Summary
A220-100 (109 seats)
| Cabin | Rows | Layout | Pitch | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Class | 1–3 | 2-2 (A, B | C, D) | 37" | 12 | Collins MiQ recliners. Not lie-flat. |
| Gap | 4–9 | No rows exist | |||
| Delta Comfort | 10–12 | 2-3 (A, B | C, D, E) | 34" | 15 | Row 10 has extra legroom — no hard bulkhead |
| Main Cabin | 13–29 | 2-3 | 30–32" | 82 | Exit row 15 (A–D); no seat ahead of 16E |
Exit row layout (A220-100): The overwing exit row is row 15, and it has four seats: A, B, C and D. There is no 15E, so 15D has no seat beside it and 16E has no seat directly in front. 15C and 15D are among the best economy seats on the aircraft, at about 36" pitch. 15B is a good exit-row seat too; 15A has the same legroom but a poorly placed window. 16E has extra legroom, but no underseat storage and the tray and screen fold out of the armrest.
Last row: Row 29. Accessible lavatory behind row 29 (CDE side).
A220-300 (130 seats)
| Cabin | Rows | Layout | Pitch | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Class | 1–3 | 2-2 (A, B | C, D) | 37" | 12 | Identical product to A220-100 |
| Gap | 4–9 | No rows exist | |||
| Delta Comfort | 10–18 | 2-3 (A, B | C, D, E) | 34" | 43 | Nearly three times the C+ of the -100; includes exit rows 17–18 |
| Main Cabin | 19–33 | 2-3 | 30–32" | 75 | Starts behind the exit rows |
Exit row layout (A220-300) — This is where it gets interesting. Both exit rows are sold as Delta Comfort, and row 17 is short:
- Row 17: Three seats only — 17B on the port (left) side, 17C and 17D on the right. There is no 17A or 17E, so 17B and 17D have nobody beside them. 17B, at about 35" pitch, is the legendary "best economy seat in the fleet."
- Row 18: A full five-seat row at about 35" pitch — even 18D, the middle seat, is a decent seat here. 18A and 18E have extra legroom, but no underseat storage, the tray in the armrest and poorly placed windows.
Seats in row 16 have limited recline due to the exit row behind them. Seats in row 17/18 have smaller windows than the rest of the cabin due to the emergency exit door design.
Last row: Row 33. Accessible lavatory behind row 33 (CDE side).
First Class (Rows 1–3, 2-2) — Both Variants
First Class on the A220 uses the Collins Aerospace MiQ recliner — it's a comfortable domestic seat but not lie-flat. There's no separate cabin curtain between First and the economy cabin — a soft divider separates the cabins.
Key features:
- 37" pitch, 20.5" width
- Recliner with winged headrest (good for sleeping)
- 13.3" seatback IFE screen
- Individual AC power outlet + individual USB-A port
- Bi-fold tray table from outer armrest (18" × 10.5")
- Bottle holder between seats
- Seatback pocket + inner armrest storage for iPad/book
Best Seats — First Class
| Category | Seats | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | 2A, 2D | Mid-cabin windows, away from the galley ahead of row 1, full overhead bin access |
| Also excellent | 3A, 3D | Rear of First — quietest position, slightly further from galley, and the only First row with two windows per seat |
| Best for couples | 2A+2B or 2C+2D | Adjacent pairs with armrest storage between |
Seats to Be Aware Of — First Class
| Seats | Reason |
|---|---|
| Row 1 (caveat) | Bulkhead row. It leads the cabin with extra room ahead, but there's no footwell cutout and the IFE screen is slightly smaller, and some passengers find it more cramped than rows 2–3. 1A and 1B are fine picks. 1C and 1D sit right behind the galley, so expect noise and light during service, and 1D has a plugged window section beside it. |
| Row 3 (minor) | Last row before economy — no privacy separation behind. Minor issue compared to Row 1 problems. |
Tall traveller tip: If you're over 6'2", rows 2–3 are fine. Row 1's bulkhead footwell can feel limiting. Delta Comfort row 10 can actually feel more spacious than First Class Row 1 for very tall passengers, since row 10 has no hard bulkhead ahead.
Delta Comfort — A220-100 (Rows 10–12) / A220-300 (Rows 10–18)
Delta Comfort on the A220 is standard economy seating with 34" pitch — 2–4" more than Main Cabin. The seats themselves (Collins Pinnacle) are the same model used throughout Main Cabin. The upgrade is legroom and boarding priority, not the seat itself.
Key features:
- 34" pitch (vs 30–32" in Main Cabin)
- 18.6" width — wider than any A320 or 737 economy seat
- 10.1" seatback IFE screen
- USB-A port per seat, shared AC power outlet (1 per pair on left side, 2 per three seats on right side)
- Complimentary premium snacks and expanded drink selection
Best Seats — Delta Comfort
| Category | Seats | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Best legroom | 10A, 10B | First row of Delta Comfort — no hard bulkhead separating it from First Class, so you can stretch your legs under Row 3 ahead. Pitch is effectively much greater than the stated 34". |
| Hidden gem | 10C | Single best Delta Comfort seat for left-leg room — the aisle shifts at the transition from First's 2-2 to economy's 2-3, giving 10C dramatically more left-side space. Some passengers rate this above First Class Row 1. The catch: no underseat storage, and the tray table and screen fold out of the armrest. |
| Best pair (A220-100) | 11A, 11B | Second row of C+ on the -100, standard 34" pitch, two-seat side for couples. |
| Best mid-cabin (A220-300) | 13A, 13B or 14A, 14B | Mid-cabin Delta Comfort on the -300, away from both the First Class transition and the exit rows. (12A's window sits out of line with the seat.) |
Seats to Avoid — Delta Comfort
| Seats | Reason |
|---|---|
| 10C, 10D (minor) | Armrest-mounted tray tables (IFE screens fold into armrest) and no underseat storage — the tray reduces effective seat width slightly and means no tray table at takeoff/landing. The legroom advantage usually outweighs this. |
| Row 12 (-100) / Row 18 (-300) | Last Delta Comfort row — adjacent to the non-C+ cabin. Functionally fine but you're at the boundary. Very minor. |
Main Cabin (Rows 13–29 on -100 / Rows 19–33 on -300)
The A220 economy cabin is widely considered the best narrowbody economy experience in the US domestic market. The 2-3 layout means only one middle seat per row. Seats are 18.6" wide — roughly 1–1.5" wider than comparable seats on any 737 or A320. The windows are enormous. The cabin pressure is lower (~6,000 ft equivalent vs ~8,000 ft on older aircraft), meaning less fatigue. And the PW1500G engines are among the quietest in commercial aviation — even the back rows are noticeably quieter than a 737.
Key features:
- 30–32" pitch, 18.6" width
- 2-3 layout throughout (seats A, B on left; C, D, E on right)
- 10.1" seatback IFE screen at every seat
- USB-A per seat, shared AC power outlets
- Oversized overhead bins — rarely need to gate-check bags
- Lavatory with window on port side rear (a fan favourite)
A220-100 Exit Row (Row 15) — Best Seats
| Category | Seats | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Best exit seats | 15C, 15D | Starboard side of the exit row, at about 36" pitch. There is no 15E, so 15D has nobody beside it — the best economy seat on the A220-100. |
| Best exit pair | 15A, 15B | Port-side exit seats with generous legroom, good for couples wanting exit row space. 15B is the pick: 15A's window is poorly placed, and the side-wall armrest is missing and the window shade doesn't fully retract. |
| Legroom with a catch | 16E | Starboard side — there is no seat directly in front of 16E, giving open legroom. But with no seat ahead there's no underseat storage, and the tray table and screen fold out of the armrest. |
A220-300 Exit Rows (Rows 17–18, sold as Delta Comfort) — Best Seats
| Category | Seats | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| THE seat | 17B | The legendary solo seat. Row 17 has only three seats, and 17B is the only one on the port side — no neighbour, about 35" pitch. The best economy seat in Delta's entire fleet. Downside: smaller exit windows, and you're solo (which for most people is the upside). |
| Also excellent | 17D, 17C | 17D, on the starboard side of row 17, has no seat beside it either (there is no 17E). 17C is the aisle beside it, with the same ~35" pitch. In row 18 behind, even 18D, the middle seat, gets about 35". |
| Legroom with a catch | 18A, 18E | Extra legroom, but no seat in front means no underseat storage, the tray folds out of the armrest, and the windows are poorly placed. |
Seats to Avoid — Exit Rows
| Seats | Reason |
|---|---|
| Row 14 (-100) / Row 16 (-300) | Row directly ahead of exit — limited or no recline. |
Best Seats — Standard Main Cabin
| Category | Seats | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall (A220-100) | 13A, 13B | First Main Cabin row behind Delta Comfort — no recline from passengers ahead if in the last C+ row. |
| Best overall (A220-300) | 19B, 19C, 19D | First Main Cabin row, right behind the exit rows. Skip 19A and 19E, which have no usable window. |
| Best for views | 11A, 11E, 22E (-100) / 25A, 27A, 29E (-300) | A220 windows are 11" × 16.5" — the largest on any single-aisle aircraft — and these seats line up with them best. Not every window seat does: see the poorly placed windows below. |
| Best mid-cabin | 21A/B and 23A/B (-100) / 23A/B, 25A/B and 27A/B (-300) | Mid-cabin left side (2-seat row), away from lavatories. |
Seats to Avoid — Standard Main Cabin
| Seats | Reason |
|---|---|
| Row 29 (-100) / Row 33 (-300) | Last row — limited or no recline, directly adjacent to rear lavatories and galley. Noise, foot traffic, lav queues. Worst row on the aircraft. |
| Row 28 (-100) / Row 32 (-300) | Second-to-last — also directly beside the rear lavatories. |
| 27A/27B (-100) / Row 31 (-300) | Lavatory traffic: 27A/27B on the -100 sit right against the rear lavatory, and row 31 on the -300 gets its queue. |
| 19A, 19E (-300) | No usable window — the glass sits well behind the seat. |
| Poorly placed windows | -100: 12A/E, 14A/E, 15A, 18A, 19E, 20A, 22A, 24A, 26A/E, 28A. -300: 12A/E, 18A/E, 24A/E, 26E, 33A. Each has glass nearby, but out of line with the seat; at 14A, 14E and 15A no window lines up with the seat at all. |
Known Quirks & Practical Tips
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Only one middle seat per row | The 2-3 layout means seat D is the only middle seat. On the left side, it's just A and B — a window-aisle pair. This alone makes the A220 the best domestic narrowbody. |
| Shared power outlets | AC outlets are shared: 1 per pair on the left side, 2 per three seats on the right. USB-A ports are individual at every seat. First Class has individual AC outlets. |
| No USB-C | The A220 fleet pre-dates USB-C adoption. Bring an adapter if needed. |
| Lavatory with a window | The port (left) side rear lavatory has a window — a rarity in narrowbody flying. Worth visiting if you haven't experienced it. |
| Cabin pressure | ~6,000 ft equivalent vs ~8,000 ft on most narrowbodies. You'll arrive feeling noticeably less fatigued on flights over 2 hours. |
| Engine noise | PW1500G geared turbofans are among the quietest in aviation. The rear seats are not appreciably louder than the front — unusual for a narrowbody. |
| Overhead bins | Rotating overhead bins with significantly more capacity than 737/A320. Gate-checked bags are rare even on full flights. |
| Free Wi-Fi | Delta Sync Wi-Fi is free for SkyMiles members on nearly all A220s. Just log in with your SkyMiles number. |
| Seatback IFE | All A220s have seatback screens — 300+ movies, TV shows, live satellite TV, podcasts, games. This is NOT streaming-only. A major advantage over competing airlines. |
| Windows | 11" × 16.5" — the largest on any narrowbody. Most window seats get a real view, but not all: some windows sit out of line with the seat, and 19A/19E on the -300 have no usable window (see Seats to Avoid). |
| A220-100 vs A220-300 | Same cabin product, same seat types, same IFE. The -300 simply has more rows. Key difference: the -300 has nearly three times the Delta Comfort seats (43 vs 15), including both exit rows, making C+ upgrades more likely to clear. |
| Bases | A220 flights primarily originate from New York (LGA/JFK), Salt Lake City (SLC), Seattle (SEA), with Minneapolis (MSP) being added in 2026. |
Best Seats Summary Table
A220-100 (109 seats)
| Cabin | Best | Why | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Class | 2A, 2D, 3A, 3D | Mid-cabin, away from bulkhead | Caveat: 1C/1D (galley ahead; 1D plugged window) |
| Delta Comfort | 10A, 10B, 10C | Extra legroom — no hard bulkhead to First | Minor: 10C/10D have armrest trays and no underseat storage |
| Main Cabin (exit) | 15C, 15D, 15B | Exit row legroom, ~36" at 15C/15D; 15D has no seat beside it | 15A (poor window), 16E (no underseat storage) |
| Main Cabin | 13A/13B, 22E, 21A/B and 23A/B | 2-seat side; 22E has one of the best-aligned windows | Rows 28–29, 27A/27B |
A220-300 (130 seats)
| Cabin | Best | Why | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Class | 2A, 2D, 3A, 3D | Same as -100 | Caveat: 1C/1D (same as -100) |
| Delta Comfort | 10A, 10B, 10C | Same advantage — stretches under Row 3 | Minor: 10C/10D armrest trays |
| Delta Comfort (exit rows) | 17B (solo), 17D, 17C | 17B and 17D have no seat beside them, ~35" pitch. Best economy seat in fleet. | 18A/18E (no underseat storage, poor windows); row 16 (limited recline ahead of exit) |
| Main Cabin | 25A, 27A, 29E; 19B–19D | Best-aligned windows; first Main Cabin row | Rows 32–33, row 31; 19A/19E (no usable window) |
FAQs
Is there a version lottery on the A220?
No. All A220-100s have the same 109-seat layout; all A220-300s have the same 130-seat layout. There is no version lottery on either variant.
How do I know if I'm getting the -100 or -300?
Check the aircraft type on Delta.com or the Fly Delta app. The A220-100 (code 221) has 109 seats; the A220-300 (code 223) has 130. The cabin product is identical — the -300 just has more rows of Delta Comfort (including both exit rows) and Main Cabin.
Is First Class lie-flat?
No — First Class on both A220 variants is a recliner (Collins MiQ). For lie-flat domestic service, you'll need Delta One on a widebody or a transcon route.
Does the A220 have seatback screens?
Yes — every seat has a seatback IFE screen (13.3" in First, 10.1" in C+ and Main). This is a major differentiator vs American Airlines' domestic fleet, which has removed seatback screens from most narrowbodies.
Is Wi-Fi free?
Yes. Delta Sync Wi-Fi is free for SkyMiles members (free to join) on nearly all A220 aircraft. Simply log in with your SkyMiles number after boarding.
Why do people love the A220 so much?
It's the combination of: 2-3 layout (one fewer middle seat per row), widest economy seats in the fleet (18.6"), largest windows on any narrowbody (11" × 16.5"), seatback IFE screens, free Wi-Fi, lower cabin pressure for less fatigue, and the quietest engines in commercial aviation. Every one of these features individually is good; together they make the A220 genuinely pleasant.
Is it worth trying to get an A220 over a 737 or A320?
Absolutely. If two Delta flights serve your route and one is an A220, choose the A220 every time — especially if you're sitting in economy. The experience difference is substantial.
More Seat Guides for This Airline
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Comparable Aircraft
- American Airlines A321 Seat Selection Guide (2026) — AA's domestic narrowbody workhorse for comparison
- United Airlines 737 MAX 8 Seat Selection Guide (2026) — United's primary domestic narrowbody
- Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 Seat Selection Guide (2026) — Alaska's first class competitor