Planes are not designed to be perfect rectangles, thus it is only reasonable that not every seat will be identical. Some seats at the rear of a 777 may provide extra legroom, whereas seats in front of an emergency escape row will not recline. Fortunately, technologies such as seatmaps.com make it simple to locate these seats, given you know the aircraft type you will be flying on. There are additional elements to consider, though, so follow these guidelines to optimize your comfort on board.
- This may seem to be an obvious initial step, but many airlines let you buy a ticket without picking a particular seat. While Aero Mongolia and Spirit Airlines (which charges a fee to reserve seats) and some international low-cost carriers do not permit seat selection at booking, the majority of airlines provide the option to view a seat map at booking, allowing you to simply click on an available seat to confirm it in advance.
- Avoid the Middle: Whenever possible, choose a window or aisle seat. Larger “wide-body” planes feature middle seats in the middle section; some have five, making it difficult to get out to stretch or use the lavatory. If you see a passenger in one of these seats, assume they booked late or chose a seat at the airport. If you book in advance, you might avoid the middle seat.
- Stick to the Front: Typically, people seating in the rear of the aircraft may board first, but those in the front are usually always the first to deplane, unless your aircraft is equipped with air steps that allow passengers in the rear to deplane simultaneously. This is particularly relevant when passing through immigration at a small airport; travelers in row 5 may be on their way out of the airport 30 to 60 minutes before those in row 50.
- Pay your Airline: Airlines have added revenue-generating additional legroom seats and eliminated rows of seats to do so. JetBlue calls them Even More Legroom seats, while United calls them Economy Plus. These seats give the maximum legroom and occasionally other bonuses, such as extra frequent traveler points (JetBlue), but they cost between $10 and $200, depending on the airline and trip duration. United offers premium members free extra-legroom seats (see number 6).
- Swap On-Board: Do you notice an empty seat as you board? Last-minute travelers may find an empty row of seats. Before boarding, check with the gate agent for empty rows. When boarding an overnight flight, I choose a seat last minute.
- Register immediately with your airline’s frequent flier program; If you often travel enough, you may obtain the airline’s elite status, which includes expedited security screening and boarding, waived baggage check costs, and preferential seat selection (and even free upgrades, depending on your status level). Elite fliers may purchase exit row seats, freeing them for other passengers if they’re promoted to business or first class.
As its name suggests, seatmaps.com offers the best seat maps for 500+ airlines in the world. Red chairs should be avoided, yellow chairs have drawbacks, green chairs are nice, and white chairs are typical. Spirit’s no-recline seats on the Airbus A320 prompted seatmaps.com to color all the airline’s seats red, as they did with other airlines’ no-recline seats (though the site has since changed the Spirit color-coding to yellow).
If green seats are unavailable while booking, record the seat numbers and change them at the gate. The webpage lists each seat’s proximity to power outlets and bathrooms. In-flight amenity notes tell you whether to expect movies or Wi-Fi before boarding.
