Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 Seat Selection Guide (2026)

The trap: the denser aircraft is the connected one

Ethiopian's MAX 8 fleet splits two ways, and the trade-off runs backwards from what you would expect.

• The 160-seat aircraft has a proper 16-seat Cloud Nine cabin across four rows, a generous economy cabin, and no WiFi fitted at all.
• The 185-seat aircraft cuts Cloud Nine to eight seats across two rows, adds 33 economy seats — and carries Viasat Ka-band satellite WiFi rated at 10–40 Mbps, enough to stream.

So the roomier jet is the disconnected one. On a five-hour sector across the continent that is a real choice, and it is not one most booking flows will surface for you.

On fleet numbers, the published figures do not agree with each other: one count records 21 aircraft in the 160-seat layout, no count at all is given for the 185-seat one, and a separate fleet summary puts Ethiopian's MAX 8 total at eight. We are not going to average those. Use the row check instead — it takes a second and it is never wrong.

Cloud Nine

A 2-2 recliner cabin on both versions — A and B on the left, J and L on the right — with wired seatback screens, where economy gets streaming to your own device. Every row leads the cabin with extra room at the bulkhead.

• 160-seat jet: rows 1–4. Book 3A, 3L, 4A or 4L — the two back rows have the best window alignment in the cabin and sit furthest from the forward galley.
• 185-seat jet: rows 1–2 only. 1A and 1B are the picks; 1J and 1L sit beside the forward galley and catch the noise and light during meal service.

Economy on the 160-seat aircraft (rows 11–34)

The quiet win: rows 12 to 16 have extra pitch nobody advertises

Seat pitch runs to roughly 80 cm (31–32 in) through rows 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 — about 5 cm more than the rest of the cabin. These are not sold as extra-legroom seats. If you want more room without paying for it, this is the band to sit in.

Pick 14 or 15 specifically: row 12's window seats have the window set behind them, 13A has no window at all, and row 16's window-side seats carry a recline restriction.

Best windows

13L, 27A/27L and 29A/29L have the best window alignment in the cabin.

Seats to avoid

• 13A — no window, wall only, in the middle of the extra-pitch band. The rest of row 13 is fine.
• Rows 33 and 34 — the rear lavatories. Every seat rates red; 34B, 34C, 34J and 34K add the galley.
• Row 32 — lavatory queuing traffic all flight.
• Row 11 — the economy bulkhead, and a cramped one: 50 cm (20 in) to the wall, tighter than a typical bulkhead rather than roomier. No underseat storage, and the tray table lives in the armrest.
• 12A, 12L, 24A and 24L — the window sits behind the seat.

Economy on the 185-seat aircraft (rows 11–40)

Same 3-3 layout and the same structure of traps, shifted five rows back. There is no extra-pitch band on this version — the 33 additional seats come out of exactly that space.

Best windows

32A/32L, 34A/34L, 36L and 38L — the rear half of this cabin has unusually good window alignment.

Seats to avoid

• 19A and 19L — no window at all.
• Row 40 — the last row, and only three seats wide (A, B, C). All narrower than standard, backed onto the rear lavatory and galley, and 40A's window sits forward of the seat.
• Row 39 — galley noise and light behind.
• Row 11 — the same cramped bulkhead as the other version, at 49–50 cm to the wall.
• 12A, 12L, 18A, 29A and 29L — window set behind the seat.

Cabin comparison

Quick-pick summary

Frequently asked questions

Which Ethiopian MAX 8 should I choose?

If you want the best economy seat, the 160-seat version — it has a band of extra-pitch rows and a bigger Cloud Nine cabin. If you need to be online, the 185-seat version, because it is the only one with WiFi fitted.

Why does the seat map jump from row 4 to row 11?

Ethiopian starts economy at row 11 on both MAX 8 versions regardless of how many Cloud Nine rows sit in front. Rows 5 to 10 do not exist on the aircraft.

Why is there no seat D, E or F?

Ethiopian letters its 737 rows A, B, C on the left and J, K, L on the right. If you are looking for 18F, the seat you want is 18L.

Does the Ethiopian MAX 8 have seatback screens?

In Cloud Nine, yes — wired individual screens. In economy, no: entertainment is streamed to your own phone or tablet, so bring a device and a way to prop it up.

Which MAX 8 seats have no window?

13A on the 160-seat aircraft, and 19A and 19L on the 185-seat aircraft. Several other window seats have the window set behind them rather than missing entirely — 12A and 12L on both versions, plus 24A/24L on the 160-seat and 18A/29A/29L on the 185-seat.

Is the bulkhead row worth taking?

Row 11 looks like a bulkhead prize and is not. There is only 49–50 cm (about 20 in) to the wall, tighter than a typical bulkhead, with no underseat storage and the tray table in the armrest. Row 18 (or row 23 on the denser jet) is a better buy.