Qantas 737-800 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
For years the Qantas 737-800 was a single 12C/162Y cabin where the only lottery was in-flight entertainment. That stopped being true in December 2025, when Qantas began retrofitting the fleet with Qantas Economy Plus — 48 extra-legroom seats created by pulling a row out of Economy. There are now two cabins flying under the same flight number, the exit rows sit in different places on each, and the single best free seat in the old cabin is a paid seat in the new one.
Quick Verdict
| Aircraft | Boeing 737-800 (IATA: 738) |
| Fleet size | ~77 airframes — Qantas's domestic and short-haul international workhorse |
| Configurations | Two. 12C/156Y = 168 seats (Economy Plus retrofit) and 12C/162Y = 174 seats (original cabin) |
| Version lottery | Two lotteries now: which cabin you get, and whether that aircraft has seatback screens |
| Layout | 2-2 Business (A C | D F); 3-3 Economy |
| Business | Rows 1–3, 37" pitch, 18.7" wide, 8" recline. Identical on both cabins |
| Economy pitch | 30" standard, 17" wide. Economy Plus rows at 34"; exit rows 37–38" |
| Economy rows | 4–29 on the 168-seat cabin; 4–30 on the 174-seat cabin |
| Exit rows | 12 and 13 on the 168-seat cabin; 13 and 14 on the 174-seat cabin |
| Best Business seats | 2A/2F on the retrofit; 3A/3F on the original cabin, which is the only row there with two windows |
| Best Economy seats | 168-seat: 8F, then 13A/13F (exit). 174-seat: 14A/14F (exit), Row 4 free at the bulkhead |
| Best free window | 22A/22F and 24A/24F on the retrofit; 21A/21F and 23A/23F on the original cabin |
| Seats to avoid | 8A (no window, retrofit only); the last two rows on either cabin; the row directly ahead of each first exit row |
| IFE | Seatback AVOD on roughly half the fleet; streaming to your own device on the rest |
| Power | 110V AC and USB-A fitted, but not guaranteed on every aircraft |
| WiFi | Free Viasat Ka-band, domestic sectors only |
The Real Lottery Is Now the Cabin, Not Just the IFE
Qantas announced Qantas Economy Plus in November 2025 and launched it in February 2026 across the 737, A220 and A321XLR. On the 737 it means 48 Economy Plus seats, and because the aircraft was already full at 174 seats, Qantas created the space by removing one Economy row. Retrofits started in December 2025.
The result is two cabins in the same fleet:
| 168-seat — Economy Plus retrofit | 174-seat — original cabin | |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | 12C / 156Y | 12C / 162Y |
| Economy rows | 4 to 29 | 4 to 30 |
| Exit rows | 12 and 13 | 13 and 14 |
| Rows that do not recline | 11, 12 and 29 | 12, 13 |
| Extra-legroom rows | 4–9 and 12–13, all sold as Economy Plus | Row 4 (free) and exit rows 13–14 (paid) |
| Is Row 4 free? | No — it is the Economy Plus front row | Yes, if you can get it |
| Windowless seat | 8A — a flat wall, confirmed | None. 9A has a poorly aligned window, not a missing one |
| Last row | 29 | 30 |
What Economy Plus actually gets you
- 34" pitch in the main cabin — a full four inches more than the 30" standard rows. On the 737 these are rows 5 to 9.
- The exit rows — rows 12 and 13 on the retrofitted cabin. Qantas quotes 38" of pitch; it measures 37".
- The front row of Economy — row 4. Qantas quotes 51–52" of pitch here. Read the caveat below before you pay for it.
- Priority boarding and first access to overhead bins.
- Complimentary for Platinum and above at booking, and for Gold at check-in subject to availability. Everyone else pays.
⚠️ The Row 4 caveat on the retrofitted cabin
Qantas markets row 4 at 51–52" of pitch. The cabin drawing for the retrofitted 737-800 shows something quite different: a bulkhead sitting roughly 16" ahead of the seat, covering about 65% of the row width, with no underseat storage and the tray table and screen stowed in the armrest. Those two numbers cannot both describe the same knee space.
We cannot reconcile them from the public sources, so treat row 4 on the retrofit as unproven rather than as the best seat in Economy. If you are buying Economy Plus and want certainty, rows 5 to 9 are a measured 34" with normal storage and normal tray tables, and rows 12 and 13 are the exit rows. On the older 174-seat cabin, row 4 remains the genuine free-legroom row it has always been.
This is not the 2028 refresh
Two separate programmes are often confused. Economy Plus is a seat-map change happening now — same seats, fewer of them, rebranded rows. The deeper refurbishment is still ahead: Qantas has committed to overhauling 42 of its 737-800s with new Business and Economy seats, in-seat charging at every seat, mood lighting, new sidewalls and carpet, and larger overhead bins, with the first upgraded aircraft flying from 2028.
The IFE Lottery
Independent of which cabin you draw, the 737-800 fleet is split on in-flight entertainment. This has not changed with the Economy Plus retrofit.
AVOD fleet (roughly half the 737-800s) — Individual seatback screens, 10.1" in Business and 9" in Economy, with the full Qantas library on demand. Typically rostered on trans-Tasman and selected premium domestic routes. The better draw. Note that these screens are listed as "not guaranteed" even on the aircraft that have them.
Streaming fleet (roughly half the 737-800s) — No seatback screens. Overhead displays plus content streamed to your own phone, tablet or laptop through the Qantas Entertainment App. Download the app before you get to the airport; there is no boarding-gate download.
No-IFE subset (a small handful) — No seatback screens, no WiFi, no app access in flight. Qantas sends an SMS within 24 hours of departure if you have been assigned one, typically on Brisbane–North Queensland sectors.
Business Class (12 seats, rows 1–3)
Three rows of Recaro recliners in a 2-2 layout lettered A C | D F — there is no B or E seat in Business. 37" pitch, 18.7" wide between the armrests, 8" of recline, with a swing-out leg rest and footrest, adjustable headrest, tablet holder and a retractable bi-folding table. Some airframes still carry the older B/E Aerospace Millennium seat. Nothing here is lie-flat, including on four-hour Perth transcon sectors. Business is unchanged by the Economy Plus retrofit.
✅ Best Business seats
- On the 174-seat original cabin: 3A / 3F — rear Business window. This is the only row in that cabin with two windows at each window seat; rows 1 and 2 have one each. Furthest from the forward galley too.
- On the 168-seat retrofit: 2A / 2F — every row has two windows on this cabin, so the tiebreaker becomes position: mid-cabin, clear of the forward galley and lavatory and clear of the Economy divider behind.
- 2C / 2D — mid-cabin aisles on either cabin, same position benefits without the window.
- 3C / 3D — rear Business aisles, fastest out of the cabin once the forward door opens.
⚠️ Row 1 — better than its reputation, with one real drawback
Row 1 is often written off as the cramped bulkhead row. It rates better than that: it leads the cabin, so there is genuinely extra room ahead of the seat. The real drawback is position, not space — row 1 sits immediately behind the forward galley and lavatory, so it collects the service noise and the queue. If you are sleeping, take row 2 or 3. If you want to be first off the aircraft, row 1 is fine.
Economy — the 168-seat Economy Plus cabin (rows 4–29)
This is the cabin most Qantas 737-800 passengers will now meet: 66 aircraft fly this configuration. Rows 4 to 9 and rows 12 to 13 are Economy Plus. Rows 10, 11 and 14 to 29 are standard 30" Economy.
✅ Best seats on this cabin
- 8F — the strongest seat in the cabin if you are paying. Best window alignment in Economy combined with 34" Economy Plus pitch. Note that 8A directly opposite is the windowless seat.
- 7A / 7F — 34" pitch and two windows each, forward of the wing and clear of both galleys.
- 13A / 13F — the second exit row. Big legroom and it keeps its recline, because row 14 behind is a standard row. The pick if you want the exit row.
- 22A / 22F — the best seats you can have without paying. Excellent window alignment, standard 30" pitch, still five rows ahead of the lavatory queue.
- 24A / 24F — the runner-up free window. Same alignment quality, three rows clear of the rear lavatories.
Exit rows 12 and 13 — row 13 is the one to buy
Both are Economy Plus. Row 12 does not recline, because the second exit row sits immediately behind it and the egress path has to stay clear. Row 13 does recline, because row 14 behind is a normal row. If you are paying the same Economy Plus fare for either, there is no reason to take row 12 over row 13 — and on an overnight sector the difference is the whole night.
One quirk worth knowing: the restricted recline is flagged on the window and middle seats (A, B, E, F) but not on the centre-block aisles. If you end up in row 12, 12C and 12D are the better half of the row.
Economy — the 174-seat original cabin (rows 4–30)
The pre-retrofit cabin, and the one the classic Qantas seat-selection advice was written for. Row 4 is still the free legroom row, and the exit rows are still 13 and 14.
✅ Best seats on this cabin
- 14A / 14F — the best Economy seat on the aircraft. Second exit row, two windows, big legroom, and it keeps its recline because row 15 behind is standard.
- Row 4 — 4A, 4D and 4F specifically — bulkhead row with extra legroom and no surcharge. 4A, 4D and 4F keep normal underseat storage and normal tray tables, while 4B, 4C and 4E lose both to the armrest. Within a free row, that distinction is worth acting on.
- 6A — the best window alignment in the forward cabin, ahead of the wing and clear of both galleys. The free window pick on the left side.
- 21A / 21F and 23A / 23F — excellent window alignment in the rear cabin and still well ahead of the lavatory queue.
How to get Row 4 on this cabin
- Platinum One and Chairman's Lounge members can select Row 4 at any point.
- Platinum and Gold members typically see Row 4 open around 80 hours out.
- Everyone else sees it at online check-in, 24 hours before departure, if anything remains.
- If it still looks empty at boarding, ask — crew can move you into an unsold Row 4.
Two caveats on Row 4 in this cabin: the middle and one aisle seat in each block lose underseat storage and get the armrest tray, and some aircraft carry bassinet positions here, which is worth knowing either way depending on how you feel about sitting next to an infant.
Exit rows 13 and 14 — row 14 is the one to buy
Same logic as the retrofit, one row further back. Row 13 does not recline; row 14 does. Row 12, directly ahead of the first exit row, also has its recline restricted while getting none of the legroom — it is the worst-value row in the middle of this cabin. As on the retrofit, the centre-block aisles are not flagged for restricted recline, so 13C and 13D are the better half of row 13.
Window Alignment — Where the Views Actually Are
The 737-800 fuselage puts several Economy window seats out of step with the windows themselves. This is the detail airline seat maps never show, and it differs between the two cabins.
| 168-seat retrofit | 174-seat original | |
|---|---|---|
| No window at all | 8A | None |
| Poorly aligned — you lean to see out | 4A, 4F, 11A, 11F, 14A, 14F, 19A, 19F, 21A, 21F | 5A, 5F, 9A, 10A, 10F, 15A, 15F, 20A, 20F |
| Best alignment | 8F, 22A, 22F, 24A, 24F, 26A, 26F | 6A, 21A, 21F, 23A, 23F, 25A, 25F |
| Two windows at the seat | 7A, 7F, 13A, 13F, 16A, 16F, 23A, 23F, 25A, 25F | 4A, 4F, 7A, 7F, 14A, 14F, 17A, 17F, 22A, 22F, 24A, 24F, 26A, 26F |
Economy — Seats to Avoid
🚫 Avoid these
- 8A — retrofit cabin only — a flat wall fills the window position. This is the genuinely windowless seat on the Qantas 737-800, and it is inside the Economy Plus block, so you can end up paying extra for it. 8F opposite has the best window in the cabin.
- The last two rows — rows 28 and 29 on the retrofit, rows 29 and 30 on the original cabin. Lavatories immediately behind, the rear galley behind that, no recline in the final row, seats narrowed by the fuselage taper, and last off the aircraft.
- Row 27 (retrofit) / row 28 (original) — two rows ahead of the lavatories, so the queue forms alongside you for most of the flight.
- Row 11 (retrofit) / row 12 (original) — directly ahead of the first exit row, so recline is restricted while you get none of the exit-row legroom. Standard pitch, standard price, worse seat.
- Row 12 middle seats on the retrofit (12B, 12E) and row 13 middles on the original (13B, 13E) — exit-row legroom, no recline, and a middle seat. The weakest thing you can buy with an Economy Plus or exit-row fare.
- 29E on the original cabin — lavatory immediately behind, and it is narrower than standard because of the fuselage taper. The worst middle seat on that aircraft.
⚠️ A correction on 9A
Qantas 737-800 seat advice has circulated for years saying 9A has no window. That is not what the cabin drawings show. On the original 174-seat cabin, 9A has a window that sits behind the seat — a poor view you have to lean back for, but a window. On the 168-seat retrofit, 9A has a perfectly normal, well-aligned window. The seat that genuinely has a wall instead of a window is 8A, and only on the retrofit. If you were told to avoid 9A and switch to 8A, that advice now points you at the worse seat.
Quick-Pick Summary
| If you're... | 168-seat retrofit | 174-seat original |
|---|---|---|
| Legroom priority, not paying | Nothing free left — take 22A/22F for the best standard seat | Row 4 window (4A / 4F), free at 80h or 24h |
| Legroom priority, willing to pay | 13A or 13F — exit row that still reclines | 14A or 14F — exit row that still reclines |
| Paying for Economy Plus, want a view | 8F, then 7A / 7F. Never 8A | n/a — no Economy Plus on this cabin |
| Quiet window, no surcharge | 22A / 22F or 24A / 24F | 6A, or 21A / 21F and 23A / 23F |
| Couple, standard Economy | 22A+22B or 22E+22F | 21A+21B or 21E+21F |
| Couple, Business | 2A+2C or 2D+2F | 3A+3C or 3D+3F |
| Family of three | Any of rows 15–18, A-B-C or D-E-F | Any of rows 16–19, A-B-C or D-E-F |
| Platinum or above | Economy Plus is complimentary — take 8F or 13A/13F | Row 4, selectable at booking |
| Avoid at all costs | 8A, rows 28–29, row 11 | Rows 29–30, row 12, 29E |
How to Tell Which 737-800 You're On
There are now two questions to answer before you fly: which cabin, and whether it has seatback screens.
- Count the rows on the seat map. This is the reliable test. If Economy ends at row 29, you are on the 168-seat Economy Plus retrofit. If it runs to row 30, you are on the original 174-seat cabin. Everything else follows from that — exit rows, the position of the windowless seat, and whether row 4 costs money.
- Look for Economy Plus branding. Retrofitted aircraft show Economy Plus rows as a separately priced block, and the seats themselves carry Plus branding embossed on the headrest.
- Check where the exit row sits. Exit rows at 12 and 13 means the retrofit; 13 and 14 means the original cabin.
- For IFE, use route heuristics. Trans-Tasman and Pacific services skew towards the seatback-screen aircraft. Domestic shuttles are close to a coin flip. Brisbane regional sectors are the most likely source of streaming-only and no-IFE aircraft.
- Watch for the SMS. If you have been rostered onto a no-IFE aircraft, Qantas messages you within 24 hours of departure. Download the Qantas Entertainment App before you leave for the airport regardless.
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) — Delivered with Economy Plus already installed, 36 seats rather than 48
- 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
Does the Qantas 737-800 have one cabin or two?
Two, since December 2025. The original cabin is 12C/162Y with 174 seats and Economy running rows 4 to 30. The Economy Plus retrofit is 12C/156Y with 168 seats and Economy running rows 4 to 29 — one row was removed to create the 48 Economy Plus seats. 66 aircraft fly the retrofitted configuration out of a fleet of roughly 77.
Which rows are Qantas Economy Plus on the 737-800?
Qantas has confirmed 48 Economy Plus seats on the 737 and describes them as the front row of Economy, the exit rows, and main-cabin seats at 34" pitch. On the retrofitted cabin drawing that works out to rows 4 to 9 and rows 12 to 13 — eight rows of six, which is exactly 48. Economy Plus is complimentary for Platinum members and above at booking, and for Gold members at check-in subject to availability.
Is Row 4 still free on the Qantas 737?
Only on the older 174-seat cabin, where it remains the bulkhead row with extra legroom and no surcharge. On the retrofitted 168-seat cabin, row 4 is the Economy Plus front row and is a paid seat. Note also that within row 4 on the older cabin, 4A, 4D and 4F keep normal underseat storage and tray tables while 4B, 4C and 4E lose both to the armrest.
Which exit row is better on the Qantas 737-800?
The second one, whichever cabin you are on — because it is the only one that reclines. On the retrofitted cabin the exit rows are 12 and 13, and row 13 is the one to take. On the original cabin they are 13 and 14, and row 14 is the one to take. In both cases the first exit row has its recline locked to keep the second exit path clear.
What's wrong with seat 9A on the Qantas 737?
Less than you may have read. On the original 174-seat cabin, 9A has a window that sits behind the seat, so the view is restricted and you lean back to use it — poor, but not missing. On the 168-seat retrofit, 9A has a normal well-aligned window. The seat that actually has a wall where the window should be is 8A on the retrofit. If you want a good window on the left side of the forward cabin, take 6A on the original cabin or 7A on the retrofit.
Is Qantas 737-800 Business Class lie-flat?
No. Every Qantas 737-800 has 12 Recaro recliners in a 2-2 layout at 37" pitch and 18.7" width, with 8" of recline, a swing-out leg rest and a footrest. There is no lie-flat product on any Qantas 737, including on four-hour Perth to east coast sectors. Business is identical on both cabin configurations.
Does the Qantas 737-800 have WiFi and power?
WiFi is free Viasat Ka-band and is fitted fleet-wide, but it operates on domestic sectors only — do not count on it trans-Tasman. Power is 110V universal AC plus USB-A, but it is not guaranteed on every airframe. Guaranteed in-seat charging at every seat is part of the 2028 refurbishment, not the Economy Plus retrofit.
When is the Qantas 737-800 getting new seats?
Not with Economy Plus — that programme rebrands and respaces existing rows rather than replacing hardware. The deeper refurbishment covers 42 of the 737-800s with new Business and Economy seats, in-seat charging, mood lighting, new sidewalls and carpet and larger overhead bins, with the first upgraded aircraft entering service from 2028.
How do I know if my Qantas 737 has seatback screens?
Roughly half the fleet has seatback audio-visual on demand — 10.1" in Business, 9" in Economy — and the other half streams to your own device through the Qantas Entertainment App, with overhead displays in the cabin. The split is independent of which cabin configuration you are on. Trans-Tasman services skew towards the screen-equipped aircraft. Download the app before every flight regardless.