A poor choice of seat on the plane is the worst way to start your vacation. If you’ve ever tried to fit your legs under the chair in front of you or see at least a piece of the city through half of the porthole, you understand what we mean. Of course, a couple of hours of inconvenience builds character, but is this how you want to start or end your vacation?
To avoid being painfully uncomfortable, read our guide to the worst places on board and find out how to avoid them.
The box under the seat in front of you
You were just deciding which bags to put in the common compartment above the seats, and what could be pushed under the chair in front of you, when – surprise, there was some kind of metal box there. Usually it stores the equipment needed by the crew, but that doesn’t make it any easier for you. You will have to put your favorite backpack upstairs, and fit your legs on the remaining centimeters for the entire flight.
How to avoid: Unfortunately, there is no uniform location for these boxes. For example, in a Boeing 737 they are located on row 9 or 10, and in an Airbus A330 – on row 33 or 34. Perhaps the most correct thing is to find out the type of aircraft you will be flying on and Google it.
The last place of each in the section
This is ideal if you hate reclining your seat for some reason. Otherwise, just prepare to sleep with your back straight or in a Z-shape.
How to avoid: do not take a seat in the very last row: these seats rest against the wall and do not recline. Also avoid rows in front of emergency exits – as a rule, the backrests there do not recline at all or recline at a negligible angle. Before choosing a seat, it would be useful to look at the diagram of the plane you will fly on.
Place next to the emergency exit
Pros of this place: you can definitely stretch your legs.
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 is also a bit of wind coming from the escape hatches.
Summary: the seats by the door are, if not the worst seats on the plane, then definitely in the top three contenders.
How to avoid: look at the plane diagram when checking in for your flight. If you see a wide gap between the rows and “checkmarks” on the sides, this is it – an emergency exit. Don’t choose a seat next to him.
Interesting fact: when registering, these seats usually seat adults who are apparently healthy and physically strong – because if something happens, they will have to open the door and help the crew. So if you are pregnant, flying with a child, have a limp, or are close to retirement age, you are unlikely to be placed here.
Place next to the restroom
Oh, this is a true pearl of our collection! An endless stream of passengers, every second of whom will lean on the back of your seat in anticipation and sway from turbulence or impatience. Trying to disperse in a narrow passage, people will touch you with their elbows. In a word, it’s better to try once than to hear a hundred times.
How to avoid: In all airplanes, the toilet is located in the tail and closer to the bow, and in some models it is also in the middle of the cabin. So don’t sit in the first or last rows and look at the diagram when checking in for your flight.
Place without window
Many airplanes have seats located between two windows. Problem number one: you won’t see anything (may be a plus for those who are afraid of flying). Problem number two: you won’t be able to adjust the lighting. If you want to sleep, and your neighbor in front wants to admire the clouds, guess who will close (or not close) the curtain.
How to avoid: when checking in for a flight online, carefully study the aircraft layout and, most importantly, reviews. The airlines themselves, unfortunately, do not post information on the Internet about the presence or absence of windows, but you can call the support service and clarify this information.
By booking tickets on the website or in the OneTwoTrip mobile application, you can call our 24-hour support and puzzle the operators with a question about portholes.
Seats when the cabin is narrowed
When the fuselage narrows, instead of six seats in a row, there are five (the number depends on the model, of course). This may seem convenient – fewer neighbors – but the reality is more cruel. In places where the seat attachments are narrowed, part of the legroom is taken away.
How to avoid: when checking in for a flight, look at the diagram. You see that there is one less chair in the row? Don’t take these seats.
Chair in the middle
Passengers reserve these seats last. Really, who wants to sit between two strangers for several hours?
How to avoid: reserve your place online in advance. Front desk staff usually try not to seat single passengers in the middle seat in a row, but sometimes they simply have no choice.
Life hack: if you are flying together, book the first and third seats in a group of three. If there are enough empty seats on the plane, no one will be seated between you. And if they imprison you, you can always negotiate with this unlucky person by letting him through the aisle or to the window.
Which places are the best?
In first class and in business. Just a joke (though, of course, not really).
The most comfortable seats are considered to be those in the front rows of the cabin, and in economy – right behind business class. We have already written about the disadvantage (there is no place to store hand luggage), but here are the advantages:
- plenty (no, A LOT) of legroom;
- no one will throw the back of the chair in front of you;
- you will be the first to receive food and you will definitely be able to choose whether it is chicken or fish (and if you buy tickets through OneTwoTrip, you will choose it on earth. A godsend for vegans and those who only eat kosher foods);
- if you are traveling with a small child, calmly place the stroller or cradle (there are often special mounts for them). But from here, by the way, comes a minus: if you are without a child, then there is a great chance to communicate with a stranger and not have a rest.
The second most comfortable places are the seats near the emergency exits. Yes, we colorfully described all their disadvantages, but tall and freedom-loving passengers still choose them: everyone likes to stretch out and sleep peacefully.
If we talk about safety, you have to sacrifice comfort. The safest places are at the rear of the plane. According to statistics, about 67% of passengers who survived plane crashes sat in the back.
And a couple more tips:
- consider the age of the aircraft. The toilet seats in the brand new Airbus A380 are better than in the business class of a 40-year-old Boeing. Information about the age of the aircraft can be found when booking tickets on the OneTwoTrip website.
- find out the distance between the backs of the chairs. The slogan “In a crowd, but not in a hurry” is not very suitable for 10-hour flights.
- don’t forget your geography lessons: consider the direction of flight. If you fly during the day from East to West, the sun will be on the left, from West to East – on the right. If you want to sleep, you probably shouldn’t take a daytime flight seat on the left side of the window on the Moscow-New York flight. In the morning everything is a little different: the sun will be on the left when flying from North to South and on the right when flying from South to North.
In any case, consider not only our advice, but also your preferences and, of course, your experience. And choose your seats in advance.
Hotel booking will take a few minutes if you do it on the website or in the OneTwoTrip app.
