Airbus A340-300
Best seat quick answer
Best rows: 45, 46, 61, 62. Watch rows: 15, 45, 55, 56, 61, 62, 75, 76 because of galleys, lavatories, no under-seat storage, and door intrusion.
- 45 — Bulkhead row at front of Economy: extra legroom
- 62 — Bulkhead row behind mid-cabin galley/lavatories: extra legroom
About the Airbus A340-300 →South African Airways fleet & routes →All South African Airways seat maps →
South African Airways's Airbus A340-300 seats 254 passengers across 2 cabin classes. Business class offers 73 inches of pitch, economy comes in at 33 inches.
South African Airways flies the Airbus A340-300 in 3 layouts — pick yours
Seat map
Business
Economy
Good seat
Watch out
Avoid
Verified layout · 254 seats · 38J / 216Y · Verified 2026-06-11
Cabin
254 seats total| Class | Pitch | Width | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business | 73" | 21" | 38 |
| Economy | 33" | 18" | 216 |
Cabin guide
- Business: 38 seats in a 2-2-2 layout (rows 1-16), 2-2-2 angled, fully flat beds in pairs, 73" pitch, 21" wide.
- Economy: 216 seats in a 2-4-2 layout (rows 45-76), 33" pitch, 18" wide.
Best seats
- 45 — Bulkhead row at front of Economy: extra legroom
- 62 — Bulkhead row behind mid-cabin galley/lavatories: extra legroom
Seats to avoid
- 61 — Short bulkhead row with only center seats, galley/exit forward
- 76 — Last row: lavatories behind, narrowed tail, reduced recline
Exit rows, lavatories & galleys
- Cabin, before row 1: galley - nearby rows can get meal-service noise and light.
- Cabin, between rows 5 and 15: 2 lavatories, galley, and exit door area - nearby rows can see queueing, door noise, and foot traffic, nearby rows can get meal-service noise and light, and adjacent seats may have extra legroom or door-slide intrusion.
- Cabin, between rows 16 and 45: 2 lavatories, galley, and exit door area - nearby rows can see queueing, door noise, and foot traffic, nearby rows can get meal-service noise and light, and adjacent seats may have extra legroom or door-slide intrusion.
- Cabin, between rows 56 and 61: 2 lavatories, galley, and exit door area - nearby rows can see queueing, door noise, and foot traffic, nearby rows can get meal-service noise and light, and adjacent seats may have extra legroom or door-slide intrusion.
- Cabin, behind row 76: 2 lavatories and exit door area - nearby rows can see queueing, door noise, and foot traffic and adjacent seats may have extra legroom or door-slide intrusion.
Variant identity
South African Airways uses this Airbus A340-300 page for 38J / 216Y. The seat counts below are taken from the verified layout, not a generic aircraft template.
- 38J / 216Y
- 254 seats as drawn
- 38 Business, 216 Economy
Seat-by-seat notes
Every annotated seat on this verified layout, rated and explained: no window, near a galley or lavatory, limited recline, exit-row legroom, bulkhead or bassinet positions, misaligned windows, and tray-table or under-seat-storage quirks.
| Row / seat | Cabin | Rating | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15A, 15K | Business | Avoid | bassinet can be fitted here and right beside a lavatory |
| 15C, 15H | Business | Avoid | near a bassinet position (possible infant noise) and near a lavatory (queuing and noise) |
| 15D, 15G | Business | Avoid | near a lavatory (queuing and noise) |
| 16A, 16C, 16D, 16G, 16H, 16K | Business | Avoid | near a bassinet position (possible infant noise) |
| 45A, 45E, 45K | Economy | Mixed | bulkhead ahead, no under-seat storage for take-off and landing, extra legroom, tray table in the armrest, so narrower usable width, and near a bassinet position (possible infant noise) |
| 45C, 45D, 45G, 45H | Economy | Mixed | bulkhead ahead, no under-seat storage for take-off and landing, extra legroom, tray table in the armrest, so narrower usable width, bassinet can be fitted here, and near a bassinet position (possible infant noise) |
| 46C, 46H | Economy | Avoid | near a bassinet position (possible infant noise) |
| 46G | Economy | Best | extra legroom |
| 55A, 55C, 55D, 55E, 55F, 55G, 55H, 55K | Economy | Avoid | right beside a lavatory |
| 56A, 56C, 56D, 56E, 56F, 56G, 56H, 56K | Economy | Avoid | right beside a lavatory |
| 61D, 61G | Economy | Mixed | bulkhead ahead, no under-seat storage for take-off and landing, extra legroom, tray table in the armrest, so narrower usable width, partial bulkhead with extra legroom, bassinet can be fitted here, near a bassinet position (possible infant noise), and right beside a lavatory |
| 61E, 61F | Economy | Mixed | bulkhead ahead, no under-seat storage for take-off and landing, extra legroom, tray table in the armrest, so narrower usable width, near a bassinet position (possible infant noise), and right beside a lavatory |
| 62A, 62K | Economy | Mixed | extra legroom, exit door intrudes into the seat, and near a lavatory (queuing and noise) |
| 62C, 62H | Economy | Mixed | extra legroom and near a lavatory (queuing and noise) |
| 62D, 62E, 62F, 62G | Economy | Avoid | near a lavatory (queuing and noise) |
| 75A, 75C, 75H, 75K | Economy | Avoid | right beside a lavatory |
| 75D, 75E, 75G | Economy | Avoid | near a lavatory (queuing and noise) |
| 76A, 76C, 76D, 76E, 76G, 76H, 76K | Economy | Avoid | right beside a lavatory |
Source & verification
Verified 2026-06-11. Seat count is validated against the published cabin totals before this map can render. Per-seat notes are extracted from the source data and rewritten into plain-language warnings for row selection.
- Source
- Coordinate-verified cabin layout
- Verification tier
- Tier A
- Validated seats
- 254
Frequently asked questions
- How many seats does the South African Airways Airbus A340-300 have?
- This South African Airways Airbus A340-300 configuration (38J / 216Y) has 254 seats: 38 Business, 216 Economy.
- What are the best seats on the South African Airways Airbus A340-300?
- Rows with extra room on this aircraft: 45 (bulkhead row at front of economy); 62 (bulkhead row behind mid-cabin galley/lavatories).
- Which seats should you avoid on the South African Airways Airbus A340-300?
- Seats worth double-checking before you pick: rows 61; 76 — mostly due to lavatory and galley proximity, limited recline, or missing windows. Click any seat on the map for the specific reason.
- What type of business class seat does the South African Airways Airbus A340-300 have?
- 2-2-2 angled — fully flat beds arranged in pairs.
- What is the seat pitch on the South African Airways Airbus A340-300?
- Seat pitch and width by cabin: Business 73" pitch, 21" wide; Economy 33" pitch, 18" wide.
- Does the South African Airways Airbus A340-300 have premium economy?
- No, this Airbus A340-300 configuration does not have a premium economy cabin.
- How accurate is this South African Airways Airbus A340-300 seat map?
- This layout is verified seat-by-seat: every cabin count is checked against the airline's published configuration, and the full seat grid is validated before the map is shown. Last verified 2026-06-11.
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SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS