Coconut Lands

  • Home
  • About Coconut Lands
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Air travel / Choosing your seat on the plane – five things to consider

Choosing your seat on the plane – five things to consider

Air travel

19 Nov

People disembarking from an aircraft in Palma, Mallorca, SpainIn the pre-internet days, a friendly check-in assistant at the airport might let you choose your seat on the plane.

More usually, it was pot luck that determined your fate. Nowadays, technology allows us to book our flights, choose our seats – sometimes – and check-in online, all from the comfort of our own homes. I say ‘sometimes’ because there are variables here. For instance, I’ve found that when I book my flight through a third-party agent rather than directly with the airline, I don’t always get the same benefits. It’s as though the airline is punishing me for buying my ticket from another company! But I’ve also found that it’s sometimes possible to get around this by creating a customer account on the airline’s website. For the small inconvenience of receiving marketing emails from the airline – which I can unsubscribe from at any time – I get access to online check-in. This usually allows me to choose my seat. So I recommend trying this if you find that your access to these functions is denied.

Once you’ve cracked the code and accessed the airline’s helpful diagram showing available seats, how do you decide which one is best for you? You might be used to thinking ‘window or aisle’, but there are other factors you might want to consider, especially if you’re travelling long-haul. I’ve picked up a few tips since my first-ever journey on a plane, age 16 (see photo!) Here they are:

1. Which section of the plane?

Do you prefer to be at the front, middle, rear, or upstairs (if applicable)? This might be pre-determined by your class of travel, of course. In economy class you often have a wide choice. I’ve noticed that some airlines charge extra for reserving seats in what they call the ‘forward section’ of the plane. The rationale is that you have the added convenience of a quicker disembarkation when you arrive at your destination. However, this can also mean that you board later than almost everyone else! Is it worth the extra?

2. What, or who else, is near you?

Passengers sitting on the left side of the plane typically get more people passing by them, because the main entrance/exit door tends to be on that side, so there’s more chance of being bumped and barged if you are in an aisle seat. The same factor applies if you’re sitting near the toilets or the galley. Families with babies or young children are usually seated in the front rows of a section, where bassinets are often provided for them. So if you don’t want to sit near lively children or crying infants, you might be better off choosing to sit a little further back.

3. View versus access

If you’re in economy class, you can choose to enjoy the views from your window seat but have to disturb, or attempt to climb over, your neighbours when you want to get out. Or you can forsake the view and opt for the convenience of easy access to your seat. If you’re stuck in the middle seat of three, you get neither! – a situation definitely to be avoided. So if you’re a ‘view’ person, you’ll ideally want a seat with an unobstructed view of the passing clouds and scenery, rather than of the wing and engines. How do you find out which seats are over the wing? Some airline seat plans are more helpful than others in this regard. Many economy seats start where the wings are, so sitting towards the rear is probably your best bet.

4. Leg room

This varies enormously depending on the airline and type of aircraft. Most airline web sites will tell you what the seat pitch is for the different classes of travel on their flights. Otherwise, tools such as Seatguru can help. Many airlines now offer economy passengers the option of seats with extra leg room, typically next to an emergency exit, for a fee – and provided that you will provide specific assistance to the crew if an emergency arises. There are often restrictions on who can book these seats; good physical fitness is a requirement. Children may not be allowed to sit in these seats, depending on the laws of the country concerned.

5. Price

Depending on your class of travel and/or ticket type, you might be allowed to choose your seat for free. If you’ve chosen the cheapest economy fare, then you’ll almost certainly have to pay extra if you wish to choose and reserve your seats in advance. It’s your decision as to how important this is to you. If you’re a student on a limited budget, for example, and saving money is more important than where you sit, then it’s probably worth waiting until you check-in for your flight, at which time you’ll be allocated a seat at no extra charge. However, if you want to sit next to a companion or you’re keen to get a specific seat, then it might be worth paying for the certainty of getting what you want. Airline seat maps should tell you the price of each seat. You can usually find this by hovering your mouse over the seat you’re considering, or touching it if you’re booking on your smartphone.

If you are keen to choose your seat, it goes without saying that the earlier you do this, the greater the likelihood of getting the ones you want.

© Coconut Lands. Not to be reproduced without permission.

VISIT OUR TRAVELLERS’ STORE – UNLOCKED BOX



Tweet
Share
Pin2
Share
2 Shares

Related

4 Comments

« Homesickness, Wigan station, a dream and a cardigan
Sidi Bou Said – a taste of coastal Tunisia »

Comments

  1. Adventure Aficionado says

    November 20, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    Finding the best seat on a plane is always a concern for me, especially a long haul flight, and these are some great points. And leg room is a big one! I have sat in the emergency row a few times and the extra space is always refreshing!

    Reply
    • Gretablue says

      November 21, 2019 at 12:54 pm

      I agree, it’s definitely worth the extra charge. Especially on long flights like NZ to the UK!

      Reply
  2. Adventure Aficionado says

    November 26, 2019 at 5:05 am

    This is a big thing for me when I go traveling! Choosing a seat on a plane needs a lot of thought, and I agree there are so many factors to consider. Especially view vs access, because if you are on a long haul flight, I find the window much easier to sleep on but the aisle is just so convenient!

    Reply
    • Gretablue says

      November 26, 2019 at 11:14 am

      I know what you mean! The window ledge gives you something to rest on. But climbing over your sleeping neighbours to go to the loo is not fun. The other tricky part of researching on Seatguru is that sometimes you search for your flight and you’re then given about 5 different layouts for your plane, depending on the type of aircraft that is being flown. Finding out which one applies for you takes a lot of digging, for example you can look at your airline’s web site, check out their seat maps and compare with Seatguru to figure out which plane map you need to look at, then access the seat reviews. It’s fiddly but definitely worth it on a long flight 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Enjoy my content? Buy me a coffee!

Currency Index services for transferring money overseas

Categories

  • Air travel
  • Currency
  • Destinations
  • Great railway journeys
  • Hotels
  • Saving money
  • Travel benefits
  • Travel planning
  • Travel problems

Newsletter

Sign up to receive our Newsletter with latest news, new blog post alerts and offers. Receive a gift discount for your first order from Unlocked Box store for travellers!

Privacy Policy
Instagram post 2191182331774893006_9271633227 🏕️ Anyone out there love camping and caravanning? Our leather totes are great for shopping or taking on holiday. Other prints and sizes available. 🏝️⁠
⁠
#totebags #holidays #caravans
Instagram post 2190454982628440669_9271633227 One of a set of 3 gorgeous cushion covers designed exclusively for us by NZ graphic designer/ artist Cat Russell, this one featuring the ruru - owl. #cushioncovers #nzbirds #ruru #owl #unlockedboxstore
Instagram post 2187524574401577913_9271633227 Calling all travellers: our BLACK FRIDAY SALE IS UNDER WAY! 15% off all stock including Limited Edition. Shop now at https://unlockedboxstore.com
Instagram post 2186626236902803346_9271633227 🥳15% OFF STORE-WIDE ON BLACK FRIDAY!🥳 It might be winter in some parts of the world but every day is a holiday in our store 😎 https://unlockedboxstore.com
Instagram post 2170167670071439750_9271633227 Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye, Scotland.  Any time of year is a good time to visit Scotland, but autumn is particularly beautiful. This account of a visit - from our blog site, Coconut Lands - won a travel competition run by tour company McKinley Kidd 😍 - https://coconutlands.com/over-the-sea-to-skye/
Instagram post 2164446591063533803_9271633227 Latest addition to our artwork sandals range - Jardin des ballons by Agnés Cavanne 😍 great summery look. See in store for details. https://unlockedboxstore.com/products/womens-artwork-sandals-exclusive
Instagram post 2151368047185921449_9271633227 Our retro boho handbags are available in 11 colourful designs to get you in the holiday mood. https://unlockedboxstore.com/products/boho-handbag 
#handbags #bohostyle #travelbags #unlockedboxstore
Instagram post 2150482292389566196_9271633227 Our beautiful backpacks. See in store - https://unlockedboxstore.com/products/backpack
#travel #backpacks #unlockedboxstore
Instagram post 2139988435143223494_9271633227 😍🤩 WIN!!! 🤩😍 Would you like to win this beautiful New Zealand Marsden flower jade pendant, hand-carved by artist Nick Spicer Balme? If so, why not take part in our October giveaway!  You can be IN TO WIN in 2 easy steps – no purchase necessary:  1. Like our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/Unlocked-Box-Store-for-Travellers-… - AND…
2. Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/unlockedboxstore/  On 31 October, we’ll choose a random winner from all those who are following us on Facebook AND Instagram. We’ll announce the winner on both channels on 1 November.  The pendant is ONE OF A KIND and measures 2.5" (65 mm). It comes with an adjustable waxed braided cord, and a traditional woven presentation basket. You’ll also get a detailed explanation of the symbolism and meaning of the carving. Give as a special gift or keep it yourself :) We have other beautiful jewellery like this in our store, so if you’re shopping for Christmas, why not take a look! https://www.unlockedboxstore.com  #newzealandjewellery #win #giveaway #handmade #jade
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Archives

  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2019 · Refined theme by Restored 316