How to choose the best airplane seat

Where you sit on a long airplane journey has the power to turn your flight into something of pleasure – or pain.

Here’s a few tips to help you pick a good seat on board any flight – without paying for a costly upgrade.

Pick early

Whether you like the front or the back of the plane, an aisle or window seat, the best way to ensure you get what you want is to buy your tickets well in advance and select your seat early. Depending on the airline you may be able to do this for free, or pay a small fee to select the seat you want – thus also cutting out the additional stress of online check in ahead of time.

Remember the emergency exit

In economy class, the easiest way to get extra legroom is to sit in an emergency exit seat. Some airlines now charge a small fee to book these seats in advance, but many others will let you select them for free. If you want or need extra legroom, this is a good seat for you. It’s worth noting however, that sometimes in these seats you won’t have the option of storing your bag under the seat in front of you.

Note:

The CAA state the following:

Some passengers may not be permitted to sit in a seat row next to an emergency exit. This is because if the emergency exit is needed, it is important the exit can be opened and the aircraft evacuated as quickly as possible.

The following passengers are among those who should not be allocated, or directed to, seats by emergency exits:

• Passengers with physical or mental impairment or disability to the extent that they would have difficulty in moving quickly if asked to do so.
• Passengers who have significant sight or hearing impairment to the extent that it might be difficult for them to respond to instructions quickly.
• Passengers who, because of age or sickness, have difficulty in moving quickly.
• Passengers who, because of physical size, have difficulty in moving quickly.
• Children (whether accompanied or not) and infants.

Choose a bulkhead

Bulkhead seats are another good option for a bit of extra room. These are the seats that are behind diving partitions in economy class. Like emergency exit seats, you won’t be able to store your bags under the seat in front of you and will also have to contend with a TV that folds out of the arm rest rather than being fixed in the seat infront. Because this is also where airlines place infants and babies so they can use a cot, you may end up sitting beside a young family – or, if they need the seats, you might just get bumped up into business class to accommodate them.

Think of turbulence

If you’re a nervous flyer or are easily upset by turbulence, choose a seat as close to the front of the wing as possible. Sitting in the plane’s centre of gravity will help you minimise the feeling of any bumping and jostling while you’re in the air.

Consider connections

If you’re trying to make a tight connection, choose a seat as close to the plane’s exits as possible so you can off board quickly. Remember on smaller planes – typically on shorter flights – there are also often exits at the rear of the plane as well, so sitting at the back might not be so bad after all.

Check the plane layout

Today you don’t have to be in the dark about what seats are best on board. Most airlines will give you a plane layout when you go to choose your seats online, and services like Seat Guru make it quick and easy to look up your flight and see exactly which type of aircraft you’ll be flying, plus notes from passengers about the best seats on board.

What tips do you use to get the best airplane seat?