Economy class, also called coach class (or just coach), steerage, or standard class, is the lowest class of seating in air travel. Economy class seats usually recline and include a fold-down table. The seats pitch range from 29 to 36 inches (74 to 91 cm), usually 30–32 in (76–81 cm), and 30 to 36 in (76 to 91 cm) for international economy class seats. A pocket attached to the seat in front will contain an airsickness bag, in-flight magazine, Duty-Free catalogue and a safety and evacuation card. Depending on the airline, extras might include a blanket, an amenities bag (e.g. ear plugs, toothpaste, eye mask) and headphones. In-flight entertainment in economy class is either a "main screen" mounted to the aircraft bulkhead providing the same viewing for all cabin passengers or individual screens for each seat that may show Video on demand. Some low-cost carriers can charge a fee for headphones. But economy standards vary between carriers. Qantas and Cathay Pacific offer in-flight audio and visual entertainment and meals on both international and selected domestic routes to all passengers, including those in economy.

Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines known by brand names which vary by Airline Company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now offer business class as the highest level of service. Business class is distinguished from other travel classes by the quality of seating, food, drinks, ground service and other amenities. Airlines began separating full-fare and discounted economy class passengers in the late 1970s. In 1976, KLM introduced a Full Fare Facilities (FFF) service for its full fare economy class passengers, which allowed them to sit at the front of the economy cabin immediately behind first class, and this concept was quickly copied by several other airlines including Air Canada. Both United Airlines and Trans World Airlines experimented with a similar three-class concept in 1978, but abandoned it due to negative reactions from discount economy class travelers who felt that amenities were being taken away from them. United also cited the difficulty of tracking which passengers should be seated in which section of the economy cabin on connecting flights. American Airlines also began separating full-fare economy passengers from discounted economy passengers in 1978, and offered open middle seats for full-fare passengers.

First class is a luxury travel class on some airliners that exceeds business class, premium economy, and economy class. On a passenger jetliner, first class refers to a limited number (rarely more than 16) of seats or cabins located in the front of the aircraft which are notable for their comfort, service, and privacy. Propeller airliners occasionally have first class in the rear. First Class seats vary from large reclining seats with more legroom and width than other classes to suites with a fully reclining seat, workstation and TV surrounded by privacy dividers. International First Class seats usually have between 147 – 239 cm (58 – 94 inches) of seat p First Class seats vary from large reclining seats with more legroom and width than other classes to suites with a fully reclining seat, workstation and TV surrounded by privacy dividers. International First Class seats usually have between 147 – 239 cm (58 – 94 inches) of seat pitch and between 48 – 89 cm (19 – 35 inches) of width while domestic flights may have between 86 – 173 cm (34 – 68 inches) of pitch and between 46 – 56 cm (18 – 22 inches) in width. Some airlines have First Class seats which allow passengers to let 1 guest sit for a short while face-to-face with the occupant of the cabin.