Experienced travelers know that a well-chosen seat on an airplane determines the flight quality by 200%. Of course, a couple of hours of inconvenience builds character, but is this how you want to start or end your vacation? We will tell you which seats on the plane to choose in order to have a comfortable time in flight.
The task of choosing is greatly facilitated if a company of three people is flying — the main thing is to book seats nearby, and then you can change. If you are flying together or alone, the choice of a seat is of fundamental importance.
What are the most comfortable places?
• Seats in the front of the cabin
The most comfortable seats are considered to be in the front rows of the cabin, and in the economy — just behind the business class.
Pros: These chairs often have increased legroom in front of them, and no one will lean the back of the chair in front of you. Food always starts to be carried from the nose of the plane, so you get it first and you can definitely choose whether it's chicken or fish. If you are traveling with a small child, safely place the stroller or cradle (there are often special fasteners for them).
Cons: many airlines reserve the front row specifically for mothers with children, so even if you find yourself in the coveted seat, there is a risk of being surrounded by crying children.
• Places at the emergency exit
Pros: There is usually enough legroom in front of the seats at the emergency exits.
Cons: there is no chair in front, which means you can't put your bag under it. The table is located in the armrest (which makes the chair a little narrower) and is more flimsy than usual. There's also a bit of wind blowing from the escape hatches.
An interesting fact: when registering, adults who are outwardly healthy and physically strong are usually put in these places. This is done so that passengers can sit at the emergency exits, who in an emergency situation will be able to open the hatches and help with the evacuation. So if you are pregnant, flying with a child, limping or close to retirement age, you are unlikely to be put here.
• Porthole seats
Traditionally, it is considered that some of the best places are located next to the porthole.
Pros: From these chairs, you can look out the window, read in natural light, and photograph clouds. Restless neighbors won't squeeze by. And you can sleep not only leaning back in your chair, but also leaning against the wall.
Cons: However, if there are strangers nearby, consider whether it would be comfortable for you to ask them to let you go to the bathroom or just to stretch. In addition, people suffering from a fear of heights should not sit next to the porthole — this is the most dangerous place for them.
• Aisle seats
Positive: Here, at any time, you can get up from your chair to stretch your legs or walk to the toilet.
Cons: Other passengers and flight attendants will walk by, and neighbors may want to get out at the most inconvenient moment, for example, when you are sleeping soundly.
Life hack: If the seating on the plane is 3x3x3 or 3x4x3, choosing a seat at the aisle, it is better to prefer the middle row. People sitting in the middle will be able to get out not only from your side, but also from the other, which means they will have to be released much less often.
Which seats on the plane are the worst?
• Places in front of the emergency exit
Avoid the rows in front of emergency exits — as a rule, the backs there do not recline at all, so as not to block the road in case of an emergency. At the same time, the seats in the row in front are fully functional. Therefore, there is a high risk of flying with your nose and knees against the back of your neighbor in front.
• Seats in the last row
This is an ideal option if you hate reclining for some reason. Otherwise, just get ready to sleep sitting with your back straight. These chairs also do not fold out, as there is a wall behind them. To add to the disadvantages, the fact that the flight attendants' trolley with food and drinks reaches the passengers of the last row pretty empty. There will be nothing to choose from, you will have to eat what you are given.
• Toilet seats
A true gem of the collection! An endless stream of passengers, every second of whom will lean on the back of your seat and sway from turbulence or impatience. When people try to disperse in a narrow passage, they will nudge you. In short, it's better to try it once than to hear it a hundred times.
• Places without windows
On board many airplanes there are seats located in the gap between two windows. Problem number one: you won't see anything (which may be a plus for those who are afraid to fly). Problem number two: you won't be able to adjust the lighting. If you want to sleep, and your neighbor in front is admiring the clouds, guess who will close (or not close) the curtain.
• Seats when the cabin is narrowed
When the fuselage narrows, there are five seats in a row instead of six (the number depends on the model, of course). It may seem that this is convenient — fewer neighbors — but the reality is more cruel. In places where the seat fastenings are narrowed, part of the legroom is taken away. When checking in for a flight, we look at the diagram. Do you see that there are one less seat in the row? Don't take these seats.
• The chair in the middle
Passengers book these seats last. Really, who wants to sit for hours between two strangers?
Life hack: if you're flying together, book the first and third seats in the top three. If there are enough empty seats on the plane, no one will be put between you. And if they put you in jail, you can always negotiate with this unlucky man by letting him through to the aisle or to the window.
At the beginning or at the end?
• Seats in the nose of the aircraft are occupied first. If the aircraft is single-decker, it is the first rows that belong to the business class. There are fewer seats at the beginning of the cabin, which means there are fewer people, the exit is not far away and the flight attendants start service from here, so you can choose everything that is offered in the menu.
There are also disadvantages. This is not the safest part of the plane, and you can forget about silence in the front rows: there are always a lot of passengers with children here.
• Turbulence is felt more strongly at the end of the cabin, and there is often no alternative to choosing food. However, it is the tail that prudent passengers choose: it is believed that the safest places are in the tail section. 70% of the people who survived plane crashes flew in the tail of the plane. In addition, if there are any empty seats, then these are the last rows, it is here that you can accommodate several chairs.
• The seats in the middle part are the "golden mean". It is believed that these are the best places for people who do not tolerate flying well — turbulence above the wings is felt least of all.
The task of choosing is greatly facilitated if a company of three people is flying — the main thing is to book seats nearby, and then you can change. If you are flying together or alone, the choice of a seat is of fundamental importance.
What are the most comfortable places?
• Seats in the front of the cabin
The most comfortable seats are considered to be in the front rows of the cabin, and in the economy — just behind the business class.
Pros: These chairs often have increased legroom in front of them, and no one will lean the back of the chair in front of you. Food always starts to be carried from the nose of the plane, so you get it first and you can definitely choose whether it's chicken or fish. If you are traveling with a small child, safely place the stroller or cradle (there are often special fasteners for them).
Cons: many airlines reserve the front row specifically for mothers with children, so even if you find yourself in the coveted seat, there is a risk of being surrounded by crying children.
• Places at the emergency exit
Pros: There is usually enough legroom in front of the seats at the emergency exits.
Cons: there is no chair in front, which means you can't put your bag under it. The table is located in the armrest (which makes the chair a little narrower) and is more flimsy than usual. There's also a bit of wind blowing from the escape hatches.
An interesting fact: when registering, adults who are outwardly healthy and physically strong are usually put in these places. This is done so that passengers can sit at the emergency exits, who in an emergency situation will be able to open the hatches and help with the evacuation. So if you are pregnant, flying with a child, limping or close to retirement age, you are unlikely to be put here.
• Porthole seats
Traditionally, it is considered that some of the best places are located next to the porthole.
Pros: From these chairs, you can look out the window, read in natural light, and photograph clouds. Restless neighbors won't squeeze by. And you can sleep not only leaning back in your chair, but also leaning against the wall.
Cons: However, if there are strangers nearby, consider whether it would be comfortable for you to ask them to let you go to the bathroom or just to stretch. In addition, people suffering from a fear of heights should not sit next to the porthole — this is the most dangerous place for them.
• Aisle seats
Positive: Here, at any time, you can get up from your chair to stretch your legs or walk to the toilet.
Cons: Other passengers and flight attendants will walk by, and neighbors may want to get out at the most inconvenient moment, for example, when you are sleeping soundly.
Life hack: If the seating on the plane is 3x3x3 or 3x4x3, choosing a seat at the aisle, it is better to prefer the middle row. People sitting in the middle will be able to get out not only from your side, but also from the other, which means they will have to be released much less often.
Which seats on the plane are the worst?
• Places in front of the emergency exit
Avoid the rows in front of emergency exits — as a rule, the backs there do not recline at all, so as not to block the road in case of an emergency. At the same time, the seats in the row in front are fully functional. Therefore, there is a high risk of flying with your nose and knees against the back of your neighbor in front.
• Seats in the last row
This is an ideal option if you hate reclining for some reason. Otherwise, just get ready to sleep sitting with your back straight. These chairs also do not fold out, as there is a wall behind them. To add to the disadvantages, the fact that the flight attendants' trolley with food and drinks reaches the passengers of the last row pretty empty. There will be nothing to choose from, you will have to eat what you are given.
• Toilet seats
A true gem of the collection! An endless stream of passengers, every second of whom will lean on the back of your seat and sway from turbulence or impatience. When people try to disperse in a narrow passage, they will nudge you. In short, it's better to try it once than to hear it a hundred times.
• Places without windows
On board many airplanes there are seats located in the gap between two windows. Problem number one: you won't see anything (which may be a plus for those who are afraid to fly). Problem number two: you won't be able to adjust the lighting. If you want to sleep, and your neighbor in front is admiring the clouds, guess who will close (or not close) the curtain.
• Seats when the cabin is narrowed
When the fuselage narrows, there are five seats in a row instead of six (the number depends on the model, of course). It may seem that this is convenient — fewer neighbors — but the reality is more cruel. In places where the seat fastenings are narrowed, part of the legroom is taken away. When checking in for a flight, we look at the diagram. Do you see that there are one less seat in the row? Don't take these seats.
• The chair in the middle
Passengers book these seats last. Really, who wants to sit for hours between two strangers?
Life hack: if you're flying together, book the first and third seats in the top three. If there are enough empty seats on the plane, no one will be put between you. And if they put you in jail, you can always negotiate with this unlucky man by letting him through to the aisle or to the window.
At the beginning or at the end?
• Seats in the nose of the aircraft are occupied first. If the aircraft is single-decker, it is the first rows that belong to the business class. There are fewer seats at the beginning of the cabin, which means there are fewer people, the exit is not far away and the flight attendants start service from here, so you can choose everything that is offered in the menu.
There are also disadvantages. This is not the safest part of the plane, and you can forget about silence in the front rows: there are always a lot of passengers with children here.
• Turbulence is felt more strongly at the end of the cabin, and there is often no alternative to choosing food. However, it is the tail that prudent passengers choose: it is believed that the safest places are in the tail section. 70% of the people who survived plane crashes flew in the tail of the plane. In addition, if there are any empty seats, then these are the last rows, it is here that you can accommodate several chairs.
• The seats in the middle part are the "golden mean". It is believed that these are the best places for people who do not tolerate flying well — turbulence above the wings is felt least of all.