Flying in comfort — or not

Fares, fees and destinations aren’t the only things that vary by airline.

The width of your seat, the amount of legroom and the entertainment options available can make the time, well, fly by — or make a long flight feel a lot longer.

Legroom is important to many fliers. Seat pitch — the space between a point on one seat and the same point on the seat in front of it — can mean more legroom, but that is also affected by the thickness of the seat back. Most coach seats on major airlines are 17 to 18 inches wide. Seat pitch ranges from 30 to 34 inches in most cases, depending on airline and aircraft.

Industry expert Terry Trippler says a lot of passengers tell him you can’t beat Northwest Airlines’ Airbus A330 coach section seating. “No one is more than one seat from an aisle,” he said.

Aircraft specs are often available on airline Web sites, and some airlines tell you at the time of booking what type of aircraft you will be flying.

SeatGuru.com offers information about airplane seating, in-flight amenities and other airline information.

Here’s a look at how eight major U.S. carriers stack up in some comfort features for coach passengers, and the options and policies some have if you need more room.

_AirTran Airways

Currently, all of its coach seats are fabric, spokesman Christopher White said.

If a passenger has difficulty with seating, the airline will accommodate the person as it would anyone with a special need, White said.

AirTran has announced plans to have Wi-Fi available for a fee on all 136 of its aircraft by midsummer. Free satellite radio already is available on all its flights — and the earphones are free. Baby changing tables are available in the bathrooms.

_American Airlines

A majority of its aircraft have fabric seats in coach, though most also have leather headrests.

Spokesman Tim Smith said the seat backs on American’s new planes are curved ergonomically and thinner to provide more room around the knees.

For larger passengers, the airline does not always or routinely charge for an extra seat unless there are no other options, Smith said.

American plans to have Wi-Fi service available on 300 planes within the next couple of years. Currently, it’s on 15 aircraft.

_Continental Airlines

Expect fabric seats in coach. The airline offers free in-flight entertainment (prerecorded video and audio selections and games), but earphones cost $1. Pillows and blankets are free in coach. In general, free meals or snacks are served in economy class on flights over two hours that fall within standard mealtimes.

Customers in coach are required to buy an additional seat or upgrade if they can’t properly attach, buckle and wear the seatbelt, with one extension if necessary, whenever the seatbelt sign is illuminated or as instructed by a crew member. Also, the airline says, customers must be able to remain seated with the seat armrests down for the whole flight and they can’t significantly encroach upon the adjacent seat.

The airline has begun installing live television programming on more than 200 aircraft. It has not implemented Wi-Fi yet, spokeswoman Kelly Cripe said.