Article: The Pros & Cons of Different Aircraft Types

[AFF Editor]

Canonical URL

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/plane-types/

Inspired by AFF forum posts from @FlyingFiona and @aikman and in this thread...

Post in thread 'Would you fly at a less convenient time to get a nicer plane?'

Jun 22, 2025

I'm a points flyer, so I fly whatever is available. However, I'd like to know, and appreciate, the aircraft more, especially becasue I see so much chat about them in the forums. Is there an article (or thread with a pinned top post) summarising the different types of craft and their high and low points? If not, that'd be really useful if someone has the inclination....

• FlyingFiona

• 

I've written an article summarising the differences between different plane types, and the pros & cons of each one:

The Pros & Cons of Different Aircraft Types

Find out how frequent flyers spot the difference between types of planes, and which aircraft types are the best to fly on.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

For those of you who aren't familiar with the subtle differences between different aircraft types, I hope this helps you to make a more informed decision next time you book a flight!

And for the frequent flyers on the forum who know all the ins & outs of different plane types: Do you agree with my comments? You can share your thoughts here!

 

[elanshin]

I would say that beyond these 4 categories: small regional jet, standard single aisle (737/a320), standard wide body and the 2 floor planes (a380, 747) most passengers wouldn't be able to tell the subtle differences and only care about how the interior is laid out.

ANA 787 configured with 34" of leg room vs most other 787s? I doubt the average passenger would even realise that its the same air frame.

As for going out of the way to fly better aircraft, I suspect there would be a preference for widebody over narrow, but at the same time context is very important for people to understand. There are times when going for the widebody and the slight comforts are potentially worse off.

 

[aspro2]

I guess this will be across all modern Airbuses: in a complete accessibility fail, the signs for whether toilets are free or occupied break the rule of informational redundancy (only a colour change, no cross-through or text) AND the warm green and red difference is a total cough for red-green colourblind users. I breathe a sigh of relief when I board a Boeing cos then I'm not squinting desperately to see if I can work out the colour, or queuing needlessly for ages. (There's a chance my sample size is not large enough, but I believe this is a clear Airbus/Boeing difference.)

 

[moa999]

It's really the combination of airline and aircraft type that matters (and even then numerous airlines have multiple subfleets and can be known for last minute substitutions.



While Y on most 332/333/338/339s is good, like say the 2x4x2 on QF, that's until you hit the LCCs that pack 3x3x3 into the frame (AirAsiaXs and Cebu Pacific)

Whereas (almost) everyone is 3x3x3 in a 787.

 

[Berlin]

For most absolute beginners, it’s actually most important to explain to them that aircraft type is completely independent from seat type. It always strikes me how many of the “public” do not understand this. And an old 777 on Emirates with their 2-3-2 config can indeed become rather uncomfortable.

Just experienced the A220 for the first time the other day on a short Air France hop from Paris to Berlin. Clearly not a “real” Airbus in the classic sense but a super nice little plane nevertheless. Glad that Qantas decided to purchase them.

One more point I’d make on the A330- the new A330 NEOs have a MUCH more modern interior than the old A330s Qantas still flies. From a passenger perspective, it feels like an all new aircraft and is becoming more and more popular with airlines for routes that don’t quite require an A350.