IN TRANSIT
Best Seat on the Plane
Just a few things to think about, regarding the cabin being your oyster.
1. Never book the front row. Sure you’re in the front row and one of the first ones off, but you’re also really close to all the front-door activity and the galley, both noisy, which is especially bothersome if you want to sleep. Speaking of which, this is also where they often seat the parents, because the bassinets hook onto the wall in front of them.
2. Seriously, never book the front row. Seats directly behind Executive Class on some aircraft don’t have a partition, so your tray is in your armrest, my friend. And maybe also your video screen. (Plus, you have to smell their delicious food while you eat a cardboard wrap.)
3. Always check in 24 hours from flight time. Not right before you leave for the airport. There may be roomy seats in the emergency aisles not already booked by the seven-foot giants.
4. Try to seat yourself with another single. Doing this leaves the middle seat empty. Chances are good that if the flight isn’t full no one will sit there.
5. Don’t sit in the row directly in front of the emergency exit row. These seats may not recline.
6. Don’t sit too far back. These seats are louder because they’re behind the jet engines or (even louder) propellers. You also have to wait longer to both get on and off.
7. At all costs, don’t sit in the back row. Have pity on the people who are booked here that missed the Change Seat button at online checkin.
8. Visit seatguru.com to see where to sit on your particular aircraft. They will help you find the best seat, flagging problems with various areas of every aircraft currently in the sky.
