If you’ve been on more than a couple flights in your lifetime then you probably realize that not all airplane seats are created equal. Some are missing windows, others have copious amounts of legroom, and a few even stretch out into full-blown beds.
Airlines are constantly making adjustments to their fleet such as getting new planes, updating their interiors, or offering convenience items like power sockets. It can be confusing to try to keep up to date on which plane flies a particular route or if your next flight will feature a TV screen, but those things can matter quite a bit if you’re headed overseas or trying to finish a presentation on your computer and need a power port.
Fortunately, there are ways that you can investigate what to expect before purchasing your ticket and it can mean the difference between blowing your points on an old seat that leaves you bored and uncomfortable vs a redesigned cocoon of comfort and convenience.
Seat Variables
There are a lot of specifications that make for a good seat vs a bad one, but the main considerations are seat pitch and width, seat configuration, and convenience items. Airlines choose their seats and fill their planes with them based on how they perceive the value of these variables to their customers.
Seat Pitch and Width
Seat pitch refers to the amount of space between a seat and the one in front of it (leg room) and seat width is the space from one side of the seat to where it meets the one next to it. These two factors are some of the most important for most travelers since they determine how much space you’ll have at your disposal.
Over time, airlines have been continually reducing these two factors to cram more seats in planes. This practice isn’t ideal for comfort but is part of the reason airfare has become cheaper. Since airlines know that space is important to many travelers, most planes offer economy comfort or premium economy seating to buy up to more leg room without splurging on first class.
If you’re a tall person or value space above all else, you may want to consider flying on an older model of plane since they often feature more seat pitch. Additionally, one of my favorite tricks is to buy an economy ticket with points and then spend cash to upgrade to an economy comfort seat. This allows me to save considerable money and still get great space at a fraction of the cost.
Seat Configuration
Seats in a plane are often laid out in different configurations based on how many are in a row. For example, a 3-3 configuration refers to three seats on one side of the aisle and three seats on the other. Planes that only have a single aisle down the middle are referred to as “narrow-body” planes while larger planes that have two aisles are known as “wide-body” aircraft. Usually narrow-body aircraft are used for domestic flights while wide-bodies are used for international or “long-haul” flights.
The size of the plane also dictates how many exits it will have and as most people know, exit rows feature more seat pitch. Other configuration changes can also be seen near emergency exits such as one less seat in that row. These types of adjustments often create a more private or roomier feeling, especially if you can nab one with a companion.
The other time when configuration can really matter is when evaluating international business class seating. The most up to date and comfortable seats are often arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration which is far better than the old 2-2-2 configuration that exist on some older wide-bodies. The former not only ensures less space per passenger, but also creates the inconvenience of having to potentially step over your seat mate if they are sleeping when you need to use the restroom.
Convenience
The final variable of choosing a seat is the convenience features it contains. IFE (inflight entertainment) options, power ports, and recline are the key players here. In business or first class, this list often includes headphones, slippers, and even an amenity kit.
While it has become more popular in the last two decades, not all planes have TVs with inflight entertainment and some airlines are even moving away from the offering with many travelers bringing their own phones or tablets. However, that means that airlines are more aware of the need for power and USB ports to power devices.
It’s a good idea to always bring some personal entertainment devices to make sure you’re covered, but if you are taking an international flight on a large carrier, it’s likely you’ll have some form of IFE provided.
How To Set Yourself Up For Seating Success
There are a couple ways to quickly and easily find the information that you’ll need to not only choose the best flight to your destination but also the ideal seat on the plane.
You should start by using the airline’s own website when you are looking at flights for the desired trip. There’s a lot of information that is not always obvious for the unknowing passenger such as the flight number, plane type, seat chart, and icons that indicate convenience features.
Delta’s website is one of the best for this. As you can see from the screenshots below, not only can you view the seating chart in real time, but there is a ton of other information provided such as what meals will be provided and some additional points about each service class and what can be expected.
I can see from this flight that the business class configuration is a 1-2-1 and features lie-flat beds. The economy and economy plus section have a 2-4-2 layout. Based on the icons shown, I can also deduce that each seat has power and USB ports along with IFE TVs.
What I don’t know yet, however, is the seat pitch and width as well as any additional info that might be relevant. To do so, I’ll need to check out the SeatGuru website.
SeatGuru is a website that can search and display different seat maps for all airlines and plane types. Additionally, it also rates different seats and allows users to leave feedback for individual seats so you can make an informed decision when choosing where to place your butt for hours.
By entering the flight information for the booking I have in mind, I just need to hit the find button.
Next, I’m able to pull up the seat map and the number of seats, pitch and width, amenities, user submitted photos, and comments from previous fliers.
One other thing to note about SeatGuru is that it also rates seats using a red, yellow, green color scheme. Red seats are poorly rated while green ones are highly rated. Yellow is used to denote a special comment about that seat that can be seen/read upon hovering over it with the mouse.
Now, I have enough information to make an informed decision about where to select my seat.
If I was to sit in business class, then I’d like choose a seat in row 5. That way I’m far enough from the galleys and bathrooms to not be disturbed when trying to sleep, but also not too far from the front so that I’m likely to get the meal that I choose since flight attendants usually work front to back.
For economy comfort, I’d choose 14H since I prefer a smaller cluster of seats that is further from the galley and not too far from the restroom. I’d use the same logic if I was choosing an economy seat and select 17H or 18H.
As you may have guessed by now, I’m definitely an aisle seat person.
Conclusion
Choosing a seat on a flight may seem like a simple, straightforward action but there are a lot of factors to consider if you want prime real estate. Not all seats are created equal, but by using the information available on SeatGuru and the airline website you can make sure that you claim a seat that meets your expectation and ensure that your trip kicks off successfully.
