How Not to Get the Worst Seat on a Flight
In a column for the Washington Post, Christopher Elliott of Elliott Advocacy described all the crappy seats you might encounter in flight – like a seat in a row of bulkheads that doesn’t recline. Or a seat with an entertainment console that doesn’t work despite your best efforts at pressing buttons. Sure, middle seats are awful, but what about a middle seat near the toilet? All of this brings us to an important question: what is the worst possible seat on the voyage?
Well, as Elliott writes, given the huge variety of aircraft out there, it’s hard to call a single seat the worst. This is also subjective; maybe you don’t mind, for example, sitting in the middle. (In this case, you can also be a monster.) However, with a few dire choices, it’s important that you choose wisely and strategize. Below are tips on how to avoid booking the crappiest seat on your flight, which might require a little research and simple early check-in.
Don’t book basic economy
As Elliott writes, the easiest way to avoid a particularly bad seat is not to buy the cheapest ticket, which is the code for basic flight savings. Typically, when you choose Basic Economy Class, airlines will seat you in any seat that is available and unclaimed by other passengers, which could mean you have to sit in the middle. Depending on the airline, you are also prohibited from purchasing any upgrades or changing seats, as is the case with American , United and Delta .
Of course, in certain cases, sticking to basic economics can work in your favor, as we’ve seen before . But if you decide to book a standard economy seat over the main economy, you have the option for change locations at least. This option isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re looking for the best deal, so we’ll be looking at other options shortly.
(Plus, if you’re on a low-cost carrier that doesn’t allow reservations, such as Southwest , you may be spending money on an “early check-in” upgrade that will get you the best boarding group and therefore guarantee you the best seat. it costs between $ 15 and $ 25 per leg.)
Explore your plane
You might think you’ve booked a window seat, but when you board the plane, reality collapses as soon as you realize that there is no real window next to your seat. ( This is a real thing that happens in certain aircraft configurations.) In fact, using the seat map provided by the airline it is often difficult to tell one seat from another; after all, they all look the same, so the place next to the toilet might not seem so awful.
That’s why you useful SeatGuru : the site presents maps of a color-coded for all major airlines and aircraft with the notes, which specifically identified good or bad places. After you book your itinerary, use SeatGuru to search for your airline and plane to make sure your seat is not the worst-case scenario. You can also use SeatGuru’s seat width comparison tables to find the aircraft with the most spacious seats if you want to avoid an especially cramped flight. (You can still end up with a lousy seat, but at least you’ll have more room to make the experience less painful.)
Smarter Travel has one more useful tip. If you are choosing between two flights with the same price, use SeatGuru to find each matching plane and make a decision. For example, you may find that booking an aircraft with a 2-4-2 configuration versus a 3-4-3 configuration can at least reduce the chances of you getting stuck in the middle seat.
Check in early and check the seat map
When the 24-hour check-in window opens, be sure to get there as soon as possible. Why? Well, it is around this time that seats usually open when business and first class passengers receive an upgrade. This means that you will be able to steal a better seat than before you register.
And, as we wrote earlier, download your airline’s app now. On the day your flight departs, the available seats on your flight will begin to change, and choosing a new seat in the app is the easiest way to find it. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, simply obsessing about seat checking before you fly can easily find a better seat for you.