How to Pick the Best Seat on a Plane: A Few Tricks of the Trade

I’m on my way to Seattle to board an Alaska cruise, and somewhere along the way I accidentally turned my flights into a little airplane-seat experiment.

I selected several different types of seats on my flights so I could compare them. It reminded me that choosing the “best” seat on a plane isn’t quite as simple as window, middle or aisle.

There are a few tricks I’ve learned over the years that can make a surprisingly big difference.

Extra Legroom Really Can Be Worth It

On my first flight, I selected a window seat with extra legroom.

The extra space was about six inches, which for a short girl is a whole pile of room.

I could comfortably put my bag under the seat in front of me, stretch my legs beside it and still have enough room to work on my laptop without feeling folded into my seat.

Would I pay extra for that on every one-hour flight? Probably not.

But on a longer flight—or when I know I’ll be working, reading or sitting for several hours—I definitely appreciate the difference.

That’s one of the first things I consider when selecting a seat: How long am I actually going to be sitting there?

A seat upgrade that doesn’t matter much for 55 minutes can feel very different after four or five hours.

The Aisle Seat Doesn’t Always Give You More Room

My next flight was the one that surprised me.

I chose an aisle seat.

A lot of people automatically think aisle seats mean more room because you have the open aisle beside you. And yes, the aisle is convenient if you like to get up frequently.

But take a look at the comparison photos I took.

On this particular aircraft, the usable space underneath the seat in front of my aisle position was approximately five inches narrower than the space available at the middle or window positions.

Five inches may not sound like much until you put a larger personal item under there.

I travel with a pretty substantial personal bag. With that bag under the aisle seat in front of me, my knees stayed bent and there really wasn’t anywhere to stretch my legs.

The middle and window positions had considerably more usable width underneath the seat on this plane.

That doesn’t mean every aisle seat on every airplane will be five inches narrower. Aircraft configurations, seat supports, electrical boxes and other equipment can all change the available space.

But it does mean this: Don’t assume an aisle seat automatically gives you the most usable room.

If you carry a larger personal item, the space beneath the seat in front of you may matter just as much as the published legroom measurement.

Don’t Automatically Rush to the Front of the Plane

Another thing I see all the time is people trying to select the closest available seat to the front.

There are definite advantages. You get off sooner, and if you have a tight connection, that can be important.

But if I don’t have a short connection, I often do the opposite.

I look toward the back.

Why?

Because when a flight isn’t completely full, those less-popular seats toward the rear can sometimes be where the empty rows are hiding.

And an empty row beats being five rows closer to the door any day in my book.

That’s exactly what happened on this flight. My rear-of-the-aircraft seat selection paid off, and I ended up with the entire row.

Headphones on. Armrests up. A whole row to stretch out.

I’ll happily wait a few extra minutes to get off the plane for that.

Traveling With Someone? Try the Window-and-Aisle Trick

Here’s another trick I sometimes use when traveling with someone else.

Instead of automatically booking two seats beside each other, we may reserve the window and aisle seats in the same row—particularly toward the back of the plane.

Why?

Middle seats are generally not anyone’s first choice. If the flight isn’t full, there’s a chance that middle seat will remain empty and we’ll end up with the whole row between us.

If someone does book the middle seat, we aren’t going to make them sit between us while we talk across them. We simply offer to trade the aisle or window seat so we can sit together.

Most people sitting in a middle seat are pretty happy with that offer.

It’s certainly not guaranteed to work, especially on a busy or full flight, and seat changes are always subject to the airline and crew. But I’ve had good luck with it over the years.

Window, Middle or Aisle? Think About How You Actually Travel

Instead of automatically choosing the same type of seat every time, think about what matters most on that particular flight.

Choose the Window If:

• You like leaning against the wall.

• You want to sleep without being disturbed.

• You enjoy the view.

• You prefer a little more separation from people moving through the aisle.

Choose the Aisle If:

• You get up frequently.

• Easy restroom access matters to you.

• You have a tight connection.

• You don’t like feeling tucked against the side of the airplane.

Consider Extra Legroom If:

• It’s a longer flight.

• You’re tall or simply value more personal space.

• You want room to work.

• A few extra inches would noticeably improve your comfort.

Consider the Back of the Plane If:

• You aren’t in a hurry to get off.

• The possibility of an empty neighboring seat matters more than being first out the door.

• You’re comfortable waiting a little longer during deplaning.

And don’t completely dismiss the middle seat when you’re looking at under-seat storage.

Depending on the aircraft, you may find more usable room for your personal item than expected.

My Biggest Airplane Seat Tip

Before paying extra for a seat, ask yourself what you’re actually trying to accomplish.

• Do you want to get off quickly?

• Do you want to sleep?

• Will you work on your laptop?

• Do you need to keep a larger bag at your feet?

• Will you get up frequently?

• Do you want the best chance of an empty seat beside you?

Those answers may lead you to completely different seats.

There really isn’t one “best seat” on an airplane. There’s just the seat that works best for how you travel on that particular flight.

And sometimes the best seat on the plane turns out to be the one everybody else passed up near the back.

As for me, I have an entire row, my headphones are on, and Seattle—and my Alaska cruise—are waiting at the other end.

I’d say this seat experiment worked out pretty well.

Ready to Plan Your Next Getaway?

Your flights, seat selections and connection times are all part of the travel experience—not just details to figure out after the vacation is booked.

Submit my trip inquiry form at www.goodtrip.biz/bookwithdana to get started, or email me at dana@goodtrip.biz.