Since British Airways pulled its direct Cologne-Bonn service, the options for getting from London to the Rhineland without a connection have thinned out considerably. Eurowings, Lufthansa Group’s low-cost arm, now picks up that slack with a short hop from Gatwick. I booked an extra legroom seat on the Eurowings A319 Cologne route to see whether paying a little more for row 5 was worth it on a work trip where comfort and speed mattered. The aircraft operating this route, D-AGWI, rolled off the Airbus line in 2006 and carries the same slim-line leather economy seats throughout, with extra legroom rows offering pitch equivalent to the business class section up front. Here’s how it went.
In this review
Flight Details
Flight No: EW473
From/To: London Gatwick (LGW) to Cologne Bonn (CGN)
Departure time: 12:00
Ticket Class: Economy Extra Legroom
Flight time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Frequent Flyer Points: 480
Status Points: 20
Aircraft: D-AGWI
Aircraft type: Airbus A319
Number of classes: 2
Number of seats in flying class: 150
Seat: 5D
Position: Aisle
Airport Experience
Eurowings operates from Gatwick, and security was surprisingly quick despite the volume of passengers flowing through (Glad I didn’t purchase fast-track access). I was through in a matter of minutes and had plenty of time to spare. That turned out to be useful, because the walk to the departure gate was a proper trek. Eurowings flights depart from gates that sit well away from the main terminal concourse, so if you’re the type to browse the shops until the last minute, recalibrate.
Once I reached the gate area, there was nothing. No shops, no cafes, no grab-and-go coffee counter. Just a corridor, some seating, and a set of toilets. It’s functional but bleak, and if you haven’t eaten or picked up a drink beforehand, you’re out of luck. I’d strongly recommend sorting yourself out in the main terminal before making the hike. It’s not a long flight, but standing around a barren gate area with nothing to do and nowhere to buy a bottle of water isn’t the best way to start any trip.
Boarding & Welcome
The inbound aircraft was delayed, and Eurowings offered almost no information about it. Passengers around the gate were visibly irritated that the flight hadn’t boarded with 15 minutes to go before the scheduled departure. A short announcement or app notification would have helped. Instead, everyone just became more irate until an announcement about a “short delay” was delivered. Boarding eventually commenced by group number. Few people were in group one, and I was in group two, so I was on early. Three lanes had been set up at the gate for document checks, which moved things along efficiently.
Some passengers had their cabin bags weighed by gate staff. Being late clearly didn’t soften the airline’s stance on a slightly overweight bag. I got through unchallenged with a small rucksack and a rolling case. Once past the checks, there was a short wait on the jet bridge while the aircraft was prepared. A crew member greeted me at the door, and I walked onto an empty cabin. It was nice getting on first and settling in before the rush.
Seat
Seat 5D is an aisle seat in the Eurowings A319 Extra Legroom section, positioned directly behind the business class seats. The additional pitch was immediately obvious. I could stretch out fully, and my knees were nowhere near the seat in front. At roughly 34 to 36 inches of pitch compared to the 29 to 30 inches in standard economy, the difference is substantial for such a small upcharge.
Beyond the legroom, however, this is the same seat you’d find anywhere else on the aircraft. It’s a slim-line frame with a leather cover. Functional, firm, and unremarkable. The overhead bins had ample room, partly because the aircraft wasn’t full and partly because I was among the first to board. Eurowings inherited several A319 airframes from the old Germanwings operation, and while the cabins were rebranded, the seat hardware largely stayed the same. For a one-hour sector, it does the job. Expecting anything more from a low-cost carrier’s 18-year-old narrow-body would be optimistic.
Which is the best seat on Eurowings A319 Extra Legroom?
Row 5 is the obvious pick. It offers generous legroom, full under-seat stowage, and standard recline. Exit row seats sometimes lose one or more of those features, so row 5 avoids any compromise. The pitch here matches the business class rows in rows 1 to 4 exactly. The only difference is that business class blocks the middle seat and includes a meal. The physical product is identical.
There’s no curtain separating business from economy on this aircraft, which means economy passengers can use the forward washroom without restriction. For the price of a seat selection fee, row 5 delivers practically the same flying product as business class. If you’re choosing between sides, the D seat gives you aisle access on the left, putting you slightly closer to the forward door and the washroom.
See the seating plan on AeroLOPA.
Onboard Experience
D-AGWI is 18 years old, and the cabin reflects that. Nothing is broken or unpleasant, but the finishes carry the wear you’d expect from an aircraft that’s spent nearly two decades on short-haul European rotations. The overhead panels, the seat trim, the lavatory – everything works, but none of it looks fresh. Eurowings hasn’t announced any significant cabin refresh for its remaining A319 fleet, with Lufthansa Group gradually transitioning to A320neo family aircraft instead.
The flight itself was quiet and uneventful. The load factor appeared to be low. Nobody sat in the two seats beside me, which gave the row a spacious, business-class feel without the business-class price tag. Cabin crew were present but unobtrusive, doing a single pass through the cabin before settling in themselves. For a sector of an hour and 20 minutes, there’s little more to expect or require.
Food & Drink
Eurowings runs a buy-on-board model in economy, so there’s nothing complimentary. The menu lives in the printed Bistro magazine tucked into the seatback pocket, and the crew brought a trolley through promptly after the seatbelt signs went off. The standout deal, if you can call it that, was a cookie or banana bread with a cup of coffee for six euros. That’s more or less what you’d pay in Starbucks for the same thing, so the pricing felt fair rather than extortionate. There was also a selection of soft and alcoholic drinks.
The selection isn’t extensive, and aboard an Eurowings A319 with an Extra Legroom fare, there’s no bundled food or drink benefit. You’re paying for the seat, not the service. For a flight this short, buying something at the terminal before boarding is the sensible move, especially given the lack of any food outlets near the departure gate at Gatwick. If you do buy on board, keep expectations modest. This is snack-bar catering, not a meal service, and it’s priced accordingly.
In-flight Entertainment
There are no seatback screens on the A319, which is standard for a European short-haul low-cost operation. Eurowings does provide onboard Wi-Fi branded as Wingsconnect, which activated as soon as the crew were released after departure. In theory, passengers can purchase internet access or stream a selection of entertainment content through their own devices.
In practice, the internet access never became active during the entire flight. The streaming content library, available for purchase, offered a selection that included 17 Again, Gravity, and the 2015 Point Break remake. It’s hard to know why anyone would pay to stream films that are at least a decade old, but the non-functional Wi-Fi made the question academic anyway. Bring your own entertainment. Download a podcast, load a few episodes of something, or carry a book. Relying on Wingsconnect for anything productive or enjoyable would be a mistake.
Arrival
The flight landed at Cologne Bonn Airport approximately 10 minutes behind schedule, a consequence of the delayed departure at Gatwick. We pulled into gate D02, and disembarkation was quick, albeit down stairs and onto a waiting bus. The low passenger load and forward seating position in row 5 meant I was off the aircraft within a few seconds of the door opening. The bus transfer was short. Cologne Bonn is a compact airport, and the walk from the gate to immigration was straightforward. The 10-minute delay was negligible and had no real impact on the rest of the day.
BG1 Verdict
This is a no-frills, short-haul flight on an ageing aircraft, and judged on those terms, it does the job. The extra legroom seat in row 5 is pretty good value. You get the same pitch as business class, under-seat stowage, and forward washroom access, all for the cost of a seat selection fee rather than a full fare upgrade. The aircraft is showing its age, the Wi-Fi didn’t work, and the food is a six-euro cookie, but none of that really matters on a 75-minute sector.
With BA no longer flying London to Cologne direct, Eurowings owns this route. If you need to get there without a connection, this is your option. For business travellers and weekend visitors who just want a quick, painless hop to the Rhineland, the extra legroom seat delivers. I’d book it again without hesitation, and I’d pick row 5 every time. Would be a solid 4 stars if they got the WiFi working and kept passengers informed about the short delay.
BG1 Tip
Book row 5 and don’t bother with business class. The Eurowings A319 Extra Legroom seats at row 5 have the same pitch, the same seat, and access to the same washroom as the front cabin. The only thing you’re missing is a blocked middle seat and a complimentary snack. Save the fare difference, grab a coffee in the Gatwick terminal before the long walk to the gate, and you’ll arrive in Cologne just as comfortably as anyone sitting three rows ahead.
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