Qantas 737-800 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Unlike Virgin Australia's three-way hardware split on the 737-800, Qantas operates its 80 airframes in a single 12C/162Y cabin layout. The version lottery on Qantas is about in-flight entertainment, and the difference between drawing a "good" IFE aircraft and a "bad" one can genuinely make or break a three-hour flight.
Quick Verdict
| Aircraft | Boeing 737-800 (IATA: 738) |
| Fleet size | ~80 airframes — Qantas's domestic and short-haul international workhorse |
| Configuration | 12C / 162Y = 174 total seats |
| Version lottery | IFE lottery — ~half the fleet has seatback screens, the rest uses streaming only |
| Layout | 2-2 Business; 3-3 Economy |
| Business pitch | 37" recliner, 22" wide |
| Economy pitch | 30", 17.2" wide (row 4 is ~38" pitch at the bulkhead) |
| Best Business seats | 2A/2F or 3A/3F — mid-cabin windows away from the Row 1 bulkhead wall |
| Best Economy seats | Row 4 (bulkhead, ~38" legroom); Row 14 (exit row with full recline) |
| Seats to avoid | 9A (no window); last row (30) near galley/lavs; Row 13 if recline matters |
| IFE | Seatback AVOD on ~half the fleet; streaming via Qantas Entertainment App on the rest |
| Power | Limited — upcoming 2028+ refresh adds charging at every seat |
| WiFi | Free — available fleet-wide with a small subset of exceptions (confirmed by SMS 24h before) |
The Real Lottery on Qantas's 737 — It's the IFE, Not the Cabin
Unlike Virgin Australia's three-way hardware split on the 737-800, Qantas operates its 80 airframes in a single 12C/162Y cabin layout. The version lottery on Qantas is about in-flight entertainment, and the difference between drawing a "good" IFE aircraft and a "bad" one can genuinely make or break a three-hour flight.
The three IFE scenarios
AVOD fleet (~half the 737-800s) — Fitted with individual seatback personal television screens, audio-visual on demand, the full Qantas entertainment library pre-loaded. Typically rostered on international trans-Tasman and selected premium domestic routes (Perth transcon, overnights). The better draw.
Streaming fleet (~half the 737-800s) — No seatback screens. Entertainment streams via the Qantas Entertainment App to your personal phone, tablet or laptop. Requires you to download the app before boarding — there is no boarding-time download option. Free in-flight WiFi is used to access the library.
No-IFE subset (small handful of aircraft) — A small number of aircraft don't currently offer seatback screens, WiFi, or Entertainment App access. Qantas sends an SMS within 24 hours of departure if you've been assigned one of these, giving you time to download content to your own device before boarding. Typically rostered on the shorter regional runs between Brisbane and Cairns, Darwin, Mackay, Melbourne, Mount Isa, Sydney and Townsville.
The 2028 refresh
Qantas has committed to upgrading 40+ of the 737-800 fleet with new Business and Economy seats, in-seat charging at every seat, refreshed interiors, and larger overhead lockers. First upgraded aircraft enter service from 2028 — meaning the current configuration will run largely unchanged through the rest of 2026 and 2027. Plan accordingly.
How to improve your odds
If IFE matters and you have flexibility, Qantas international 737 services (trans-Tasman, Pacific Islands) disproportionately use the AVOD fleet. Shorter domestic shuttles (SYD-MEL, SYD-BNE) are roughly a coin-flip. The Brisbane-North Queensland sectors are the most likely source of the no-IFE aircraft.
Business Class (12 seats, rows 1-3)
Three rows of recliners in a 2-2 layout, 37" pitch, 22" wide. A solid domestic Business product but nothing lie-flat — even on four-hour Perth-east coast sectors.
✅ Best Business seats
- 2A / 2F (windows) — Mid-cabin window with no bulkhead in front and full recline from the seat in front. The pick of the cabin.
- 3A / 3F (windows) — Rear Business window. Same pitch and recline as Row 2 but closer to the Economy cabin divider. Quieter service than Row 1, quicker to exit than Row 2 once doors open.
- 2C / 2D (aisles) — Mid-cabin aisle, same attributes as the window equivalents.
- 3C / 3D (aisles) — Rear Business aisle, fastest off the aircraft in Business.
⚠️ Seats to be aware of
Row 1 (1A, 1C, 1D, 1F) — Bulkhead row. The bulkhead wall sits close to the leading edge of the seat, so knee space feels tighter than Rows 2 or 3 despite the identical pitch number. Tray table stowed in the armrest means a narrower seat and the armrests don't fully lift. Also: no seat-pocket storage, no overhead space directly above (crew jump seat area). First row isn't the best Business row on this aircraft.
Cabin features
- Recliner seats, not lie-flat. No lie-flat Business on any Qantas 737 regardless of sector length.
- On AVOD aircraft, Business has individual seatback screens. On streaming aircraft, Business uses the Qantas Entertainment App same as Economy.
- Full meal service domestically over 2 hours, including from the buy-on-board-plus Business menu.
- Limited in-seat power — the 2028 refresh will add charging to all Business seats.
Economy Class — The Best Seats
Economy on the Qantas 737-800 runs rows 4 to 30 in a standard 3-3 layout. Three specific rows are materially better than anything else: Row 4 at the bulkhead, and exit rows 13 and 14.
Row 4 — The "hidden" premium Economy seat
Row 4 sits directly behind Business Class with ~38" pitch — a full 8" more than the 30" standard Economy pitch. No surcharge. Qantas blocks Row 4 from advance seat selection until 80 hours before departure for most passengers, at which point it opens to status-tier holders first and general cabin at 24 hours.
How to get Row 4:
- Platinum One and Chairman's Lounge members can select Row 4 at any point.
- Platinum and Gold members typically see Row 4 open at 80 hours out.
- Everyone else sees Row 4 at online check-in (24 hours) if any seats remain.
- Crew can move you into an unsold Row 4 after check-in — worth asking at boarding if it looks empty.
Trade-offs:
- Tray tables are stored in the armrest → seat is slightly narrower than standard Economy.
- On AVOD aircraft, IFE screens are in the armrest → armrests don't lift, harder to slide past your seatmate.
- Limited underseat storage at takeoff and landing (bulkhead wall in front).
- Bassinet positions on some aircraft — worth checking if you'd prefer to avoid infants.
Rows 13 and 14 — Exit rows
Both overwing exit rows have ~34-36" pitch and standard seat-back tray tables (no armrest compromise). Paid extra for selection (unless you hold Platinum or higher status).
Row 14 is the better pick. The row behind it (15) has full recline into Row 14 blocked, but Row 14 itself reclines.
Row 13 does not recline on most Qantas 737-800s. Crew on some aircraft can unlock the recline, but the safer assumption is that Row 13 is fixed upright. Cabin crew on Jetconnect-operated trans-Tasman services have confirmed no-recline on Row 13.
✅ Best exit row picks
- 14A / 14F — Exit row window, reclines, generous legroom.
- 14C / 14D — Exit row aisle, same attributes.
- 13A / 13F — Exit row window, legroom without recline. Fine for daytime, not for overnights.
Standard Economy — Best picks
- Row 5 window (5A / 5F) — Forward of the wing, directly behind Row 4, quiet. If Row 4 is booked, this is the next best thing.
- Rows 6-10 window — Forward-cabin windows, clean alignment, pre-wing so quiet.
- Rows 15-19 window — Post-exit cabin, same pitch but away from galley noise.
Economy Class — Seats to Avoid
🚫 Avoid these
- 9A — No window. A flat wall fills the window position on the left side of Row 9 on all Qantas 737-800s. 9F on the right side has a normal window.
- Last row (30) — No recline (galley bulkhead behind), narrow seats due to fuselage curvature, and constant traffic to the aft galley and lavatories. The worst Economy seat on the aircraft.
- Row 29 — Partial recline, lav noise, proximity to the rear galley. Second-worst row.
- Row 12 — Directly in front of the exit row. Partial recline or no recline depending on airframe (the exit row behind protects its egress path). Worth avoiding unless the rest of the cabin is full.
- Row 13 middle seats (13B, 13E) — Exit row legroom but no recline and middle seat. Hard to justify paying the exit row premium for this combination.
IFE Fleet Comparison
| AVOD Fleet | Streaming Fleet | No-IFE Subset | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seatback screens | Yes (Business and Economy) | No | No |
| Content library | Full Qantas Entertainment library on demand | Full library via app | None in flight |
| WiFi | Free | Free | None |
| Qantas Entertainment App | Optional (app adds extras) | Required | Not accessible |
| Typical routes | International trans-Tasman, Pacific, premium domestic | Domestic shuttles | Brisbane regional sectors (Cairns, Darwin, Mackay, Mount Isa) |
| Approximate fleet share | ~50% | ~50% | Small handful |
| Pre-flight SMS notification | No | No | Yes, 24h before |
| Power | Limited / none | Limited / none | None |
Quick-Pick Summary
| If you're... | Book... |
|---|---|
| Solo, legroom priority, free | Row 4 window (4A / 4F) — wait until 80h or 24h, grab as soon as it opens |
| Solo, legroom priority, willing to pay | 14A or 14F — exit row window with full recline |
| Solo, quiet window | Row 5 or 6 window — forward, post-Row-4, no premium |
| Couple, standard Economy | Row 5 window pair (5A+5B or 5E+5F) — forward cabin, quiet |
| Couple, Business | 2A+2C or 2D+2F — mid-cabin Business windows |
| Family of three | Any row 5-10, A-B-C or D-E-F |
| Frequent flyer (Platinum+) | Row 4 — you can select it anytime, take advantage |
| Price priority | Any window Row 5-12 — no premium, forward, quiet |
| Avoid at all costs | 9A (no window), Row 30 (last row), Row 13 middle seats, Row 1 Business if you value knee space |
How to Tell Which 737-800 You're On
The key question on Qantas 737 isn't "what cabin do I have" (it's always 12C/162Y) — it's "will I have seatback IFE?". Here's how to work it out before the flight:
- Check the seat map on the Qantas app. AVOD-fitted aircraft generally display a small screen icon on the seat map. Streaming aircraft don't. The app doesn't always make this explicit, but it's the first signal.
- Route heuristics. Trans-Tasman and Pacific Islands services (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Honiara, Nadi) are disproportionately AVOD aircraft. Domestic shuttles are a coin-flip. Brisbane regional sectors (Cairns, Mount Isa) are most likely streaming or no-IFE.
- SMS notification. If you've been rostered onto a no-IFE aircraft, Qantas sends an SMS within 24 hours of departure. If you haven't received one, you'll have at least streaming.
- Download the app regardless. On any 737 flight, download the Qantas Entertainment App before you go to the airport. On AVOD aircraft the seatback covers you but the app adds extras. On streaming aircraft the app is the entertainment. On no-IFE aircraft the app is offline-only but still gives you pre-downloaded content.
Comparable Guides
- Virgin Australia 737-800 Seat Selection Guide (2026) — Direct domestic competitor with three cabin configurations
- Qantas A330-300 Seat Selection Guide (2026) — The wide-body alternative on key domestic trunk routes
- Qantas A321XLR Seat Selection Guide (2026) — The newer narrowbody in the Qantas fleet, replacing older 737s on selected routes
- Air New Zealand 737 MAX 8 Seat Selection Guide (2026) — Trans-Tasman competitor on the same routes
- Jetstar A321neo Seat Selection Guide (2026) — Qantas Group low-cost alternative on domestic
FAQ
Is Qantas 737-800 Business Class lie-flat?
No. All 80 Qantas 737-800s have 12 recliner seats in a 2-2 layout at 37" pitch. There is no lie-flat product on any Qantas 737, even on four-hour Perth-east coast flights.
How do I know if my Qantas 737 has seatback screens?
Roughly half the fleet has individual seatback audio-visual on demand screens; the other half streams entertainment to your personal device via the Qantas Entertainment App. The Qantas app sometimes indicates this on the seat map before booking. International trans-Tasman services are more likely to use AVOD aircraft. Download the Qantas Entertainment App before every flight regardless.
What's special about Row 4 on the Qantas 737?
Row 4 is the first row of Economy, sitting directly behind Business at the cabin divider. It has roughly 38 inches of pitch — eight inches more than the rest of Economy — with no surcharge. Qantas blocks Row 4 from advance selection until 80 hours before departure for most flyers. Platinum One and Chairman's Lounge members can select it anytime; other flyers get first shot at 80 hours and at online check-in. The trade-off: tray tables and IFE screens are in the armrest, so the seat is slightly narrower and armrests don't fully lift.
Which exit row is better — 13 or 14?
Row 14. Both exit rows have extra legroom, but Row 13 doesn't recline on most Qantas 737-800s (the second exit row behind locks its recline), while Row 14 retains full recline because the row behind (15) has standard seats. If you're paying the exit row surcharge, pay it for Row 14.
What's wrong with seat 9A on Qantas 737?
9A on the left side of the cabin has no window — a flat wall sits where the window would be. This is consistent across the fleet. 9F on the right side is fine. If you're booked into 9A and want the view, switch to 8A, 10A, or 9F.
Does Qantas 737-800 have WiFi?
Yes, free WiFi is available on most Qantas 737-800s across Australia and trans-Tasman services. A small subset of aircraft (typically used on Brisbane regional runs) has no WiFi; Qantas sends an SMS 24 hours before departure if you've been assigned one of these aircraft.
When is the Qantas 737-800 being upgraded?
Qantas has committed to upgrading 40+ of its 737-800s with new Business and Economy seats, in-seat charging, refreshed interiors, and larger overhead lockers. The first upgraded aircraft enter service from 2028. Until then, the current 12C/162Y configuration with limited in-seat power will remain across the fleet.
Can I choose Row 4 for free if I'm not a Qantas frequent flyer?
You can't select Row 4 at the time of booking unless you're Platinum One or Chairman's Lounge tier. For everyone else, Row 4 opens at 80 hours before departure (Platinum and Gold go first) and at 24 hours (online check-in) for any unsold seats. If a Row 4 seat remains unallocated at the gate, cabin crew will sometimes re-seat passengers into it on request.