How to Choose the Best Seat on a Flight
There is no single best seat on a plane, only the best seat for what you want out of the flight. Sort out what matters to you most, then pick accordingly. Here is how I choose, depending on the trip.
If you want to sleep
Go for a window seat, ideally ahead of the wing. The window gives you something to lean against and control over the blind, and nobody climbs over you for the toilet. Avoid the very back rows and anything near the galleys and toilets, where the lights, noise and foot traffic never really stop.
If you want legroom
An exit-row or a bulkhead seat usually has the most space. Two things to know: exit-row seats often do not recline and you may have to stow everything in the overhead bin for take-off and landing, and bulkhead seats have no seat in front, so your bag goes overhead too. Many airlines charge extra for these, but on a long flight it can be money well spent.
If you want to get off quickly
An aisle seat as far forward as your ticket allows is the fastest way off the aircraft, which matters if you have a tight connection or just hate waiting. The trade-off is that on a long flight an aisle seat means standing up for window passengers and a little more cabin bustle past your elbow.
If you get airsick or feel nervous
Sit over the wing. It is the most stable part of the aircraft, closest to the plane's centre of gravity, so you feel turbulence the least there. Nervous flyers often do well with a window over the wing, where you can see the horizon, or an aisle seat if feeling boxed in is the bigger worry.
If you are flying with a baby or young children
Ask about the bulkhead row, since that is where airlines fit bassinets for infants on long-haul flights. With older children, the priority is simply sitting together, so book your seats early rather than risking a scattered family on a full flight.
A few seats to avoid
- The last row, which often does not recline and sits right by the toilets and galley.
- Seats immediately in front of an exit row, which sometimes have limited recline.
- Middle seats on a long flight, unless you are travelling as a group and one of you takes one for the team.
How seat selection actually works
On most airlines you can pick your seat free at web check-in, which opens around 48 hours before departure, so the single best habit is to check in the moment it opens. Many airlines also sell seat selection earlier, with the prime spots, extra-legroom rows, front seats and windows, costing more. Whether that is worth paying depends on the flight: on a short hop it rarely is, but on a long-haul a seat you chose on purpose can be the difference between arriving rested and arriving sore. Budget airlines assign you a random seat for free if you do not pay, so you will sit somewhere regardless; paying simply buys you the choice rather than the luck of the draw.
Whatever you choose, it is worth selecting your seat at web check-in rather than leaving it to the airport, when the good ones are long gone. And if it is a long-haul, a good seat plus a plan for the jet lag at the other end makes a real difference to how you arrive.