Choose Your Best Plane Seat.
After getting through the, sometimes long and hectic, process of getting to your gate and onto the plane, settling into your assigned seat is a welcome relief. Will that seat really be a relief though?
There are two types of travellers; those that don't care where they sit - this article isn't for you! and those that have preferences on their seat location and/or surroundings - read on!
Did you know that there is more about your in-flight seating experience that you can "control" besides choosing a window, middle or aisle seat?
| Proximity to the galley | Do you want to be near the place where the flight attendants are preparing food & drinks during the flight? |
| Leg Room | Find out where you can stretch out |
| De-Boarding speed | Do you need to make a connecting flight? A seat near the front will help you exit the plane faster. |
| Proximity to Lavatories | On longer flights, there can be lots of activity near lavatories, including people standing nearby to wait. |
| Proximity to Exits | Keep in mind that most exit seats do not recline backwards. This could be a bonus for some who choose the seats behind an Exit Row as you will not have someone reclining into you. |
| Expected Turbulence | Choose a seat over the Wing to minimize the feel of turbulence. |
| Views from the Windows | If you are familiar with the plane route, you can choose a seat on the side of the plane that will have the best views of landmarks down below. For example, knowing the direction of the plane will help you determine on which side of the plane the Sun is rising or setting. Get that camera ready! |
Of course, many of these factors may not matter if your flight is less than 3 hours. It is when you are on a "long-haul" flight, that a factor such as proximity to the galley becomes something to consider.
Luckily, you don't need to do much research on the layout of your particular flight and what are considered good seats on the aircraft. Sites like SeatGuru.com, have done most of the work for you. On SeatGuru, you can find layouts and seat maps of almost every airline and aircraft available. Also, other consumers have contributed reviews and uploaded pictures regarding particular seat numbers.
Whatever seat you choose, try not to be disappointed if it isn't what you expected. There are some "window" seats that don't have windows at all!(check the plane map on SeatGuru for confirmation). Then there are situations that are out of our control...I once chose a Window seat so I could enjoy the views over Africa during what was supposed to be a low- altitude, 8 hour flight from Dubai to Johannesburg only to miss that connection because my first plane, from New York to Dubai, was late. Instead, I was rebooked on the next flight to which was at night. So I all I saw for that flight from my precious window seat were the twinkling lights of African cities down below. Meh - it happens. Seat fail however South Africa was amazing!