Photo by Aaron Escobar

The Best Economy Seats

Many people show up at the airport and simply get given any old seat. When they ask, they find that all the best seats are already taken. Some passengers, however, have figured out how to have the best seats assigned to them even before online check in opens.

This article will look at the different seats available on each flight and explain which seats are the best. It may surprise you to learn that not all seats are the same.

Exit Row Seats

Exit row seats are those located next to emergency exit doors. These seats are highly sought after for their extra legroom. Regulations mean that seats may not block access to emergency exit doors so a space must be left. This means that those Economy Passengers lucky enough to receive an exit row will have almost unlimited legroom.

The seats above marked in green are Exit Row Seats – easily identifiable on seat maps as there is a massive space in front of them.

There are a few downsides however. First, the window seat may have less legroom due to the location of some emergency slides. Basically, the packed up slide is inside a plastic box attached to the inside of the door. This means exit row window seats may be less desirable. However the upside is that passengers can lean against the side of the plane to sleep. Furthermore, Some emergency slides are low enough that you can put your feet on top of them and rest. This is technically against aircraft safety rules but it is rarely enforced. Also, as these seats have so much legroom, they are usually the most desirable and usually fill up quickly.

As you have nobody in front of you, it means nobody can recline their seat into your space. This has one downside however. On aircraft that have individual TV screens in Economy class, the TV is located on the back of each seat. With no seat in front of an exit row, the only option is store the TV in the armrest so that it can slide out. While this does mean the TV is easier to adjust, it also means that the armrests become immovable and the seats become slightly narrower. Still, these seats are usually the most preferred seats in Economy.

Bulkhead Seats

Bulkhead Seats are those which are at the front of a section of the cabin, where there is a wall in front of the seats. This means extra leg room, though not as much as exit row seats. Bulkhead seats can be at the side or in the middle section of wide-bodied aircraft. The physical seats as usually identical to exit row seats and they share many features, such as having TVs in the armrest and usually being slightly narrower.

The seats above marked in green are Bulkhead Seats – they are in the centre section of seats at the front of each cabin section.

Certain restrictions may apply to children under 18 sitting in an exit row seat. These restrictions usually do not apply to bulkhead seats. Furthermore a fold down table which babies can be placed on (bassinet) is located on may bulkheads. This means that there is a higher chance that you may be seated next to a baby. Not all babies cry for the whole flight but once you sit next to one that does, you won’t want to do it again!

Another complaint about some bulkhead seats is that despite having extra legroom, your feet cannot slide under the bulkhead. This can make stretching your legs fully a little difficult and can cause discomfort. That being said, you could always stand up and stretch. Sometimes, when the bulkhead is far enough away from the seat, you can actually rest your feet against the bulkhead and use it as a sort of footrest.

Paired seats

Some aircraft are configured with plenty of “pairs” of seats, such as the common Boeing 767 configuration 2-3-2. Even some 777 aircraft, such as those used by American Airlines, are configured 2-5-2. On most other aircraft, there are very few pairs of seats on their own. The exception to this is towards the rear of the plan as the fuselage begins to curve inwards.

The seats above marked in green are Paired Seats – the only pairs of seats in Economy as all the rest are in rows for 3 or 4.

Often only a few rows of these pairs exist on each aircraft so try to snap them up early if possible. For more information on acquiring the best seats, be sure to read the article on Day 3 of this course. The main advantage of these seats is that you and your travelling companion do not have to sit next to anyone else. A further benefit is that you often have extra under seat storage and an extra space between the window seat and the actual window. This is useful for storing bags after take-off and for stretching out. However, it does mean that you cannot rest against the window for example to try and sleep.

Sometimes the seats will be misaligned with the row in front. This means that the personal TV may be at an angle, but this is usually not too much of an issue. The extra privacy is usually worth this minor inconvenience. Aside from this, legroom should be the same as any normal Economy seat.

Empty Rows

Sometime, not every seat will be full and it may be possible to secure an entire row of sets to yourself. This is really great for overnight flights as it can give you a flat bed to sleep on. When the plane is very quiet these are easy to grab, but when it becomes busier, this becomes more difficult.

The ultimate option here is 5 seats to yourself, which is only available on aircraft with a 2-5-2 configuration (American Airlines/ United Airlines 777 flights). To put this into perspective, 5 economy seats are longer than the longest flat bed in First Class! Even 3 or 4 seats is more than enough to get a comfortable nights rest.

Things to watch out for are armrests. While most should move all the way back, some only move to a vertical position and not back in line with the reclined angle of the seats. This means they can stick into you as you try to sleep. The seatbelt buckles and straps can also get in the way, but it is possible to squeeze these between the seat cushions. You can always keep one around you in case of turbulence. The metal connectors between the seat and the seatbelt can dig into your back as you try to sleep. In this case, simply take a spare blanket (you should have 3 or 4) and run it along the corner of the seat backs. You should also have plenty of pillows to get comfortable. This truly is the ultimate way to travel in Economy, but also the most difficult seats to acquire unless the aircraft is very quiet. You can only get these seats just before boarding. Be sure to read my guide on How to get an empty row of seats.

Aisle seats

Aisle Seats are favoured by many passengers due to the extra room, ability to stretch your legs into the aisle and not having to bother anyone when getting up to use the lavatory. In reality your ability to stretch out into the aisle is limited by a fixed armrest and constant foot traffic. Still, given the choice many people will opt for an aisle because they FEEL it gives them more space. With a window seat, you can’t actually stretch out past the window so it can seem more claustrophobic. If you check in online in advance it is almost always possible to secure an aisle seat and there are few restrictions here.

One important thing to watch out for is in-flight entertainment boxes. These hold the equipment which controls the personal seat-back TVs on some aircraft. They are often situated under the aisle seat. This means that your legroom and under seat storage will be diminished. The box does allow you to slip your feat underneath it and only covers about 50% of the under seat area so it is not all bad. Check SeatGuru as on wide-bodied aircraft (those with 2 aisles), the aisle seats in the centre section may not have these boxes underneath.

Window Seats

Window seats are also popular as having a view gives you something to do on those long flights. It is particularly nice when flying taking off and landing in some cities such as London or New York where the view can be especially good. There are a few other benefits to Window seats. You always have at least one armrest to yourself, the other is shared with the passenger in the middle. On overnight flights, some passengers lean against the window/wall of the plane with a pillow. This can be more comfortable for sleeping purposes on.

The main downside to the window seat is having to ask everyone else in your row to stand up if you need to get out of your seat. This can be annoying on overnight flights when people are sleeping. One other disadvantage of window seats is that the plane often curves inwards at the bottom. This means that your legroom is slightly reduced. This is especially the case when airlines cram extra seats into each row (Air Asia, KLM 777-300ER and Emirates 777). Here you may find that one foot is not flat on the floor and this can cause discomfort on longer flights. It helps if you take your shoes off in this situation.

Other Extra Legroom

United Airlines have a special Economy cabin known as Economy Plus. This is different from other Premium Economy seats in that the only difference is extra legroom (not width). However, the extra room is significant and at 36” they are the roomiest Economy seats out there. The catch is that not everyone can sit here. You must be an elite member of United’s frequent flyer program. You may also opt to pay for Economy Plus seating and the price varies depending on the length of the flight. Yearly passes are available for those who travel frequently, although these individuals are likely to be frequent flyers anyway. If Economy is full then it is highly likely that some regular passengers will be given seats in Economy Plus. It is worth asking if there are any free seats available here when you check in. Usually they are not assigned until at the gate, but there are always exceptions.

Summary

By reading this guide, hopefully you will have a greater understanding of the different seats available in a typical Economy Class cabin environment. Take the time before your next flight to find out the seat layout of your aircraft. Next, decide which kind of seat you want and follow the instructions in the Reserve Your Seat in Advance article.