Booking the best airplane seat

• By Kate.L
• Travel Tips

Traveling by air is for many people very uncomfortable and tiresome. This feeling is only enhanced by how bad their seat is. While many planes these days offer nice seats, the legroom is yet another problem especially for taller folks. Flying gives the impression of the worst experience a person can have, even though most of the time it is the fastest way of reaching their destination.

There are two cases in which the quality of the airplane chair really matters: often short trips and long haul flights. However, no matter how long or often you must fly, there are ways of making the trip more comfortable. One of them is by booking the best airplane seat, and while this is tricky or at times rather difficult, next you can find some tips on how to be successful.

The first tip would be to decide what travel aspects are you willing to compromise on, and which ones are something you just must have. What you consider a good seat might be a bad seat to a fellow traveler, so do keep this in mind before paying for your flight. Everyone will agree that the best seat is the one offering the most comfort for the buck. If you need to work on your computer mid-flight, you will want the seat with more space to be able to open it as much as you need it to.

Another tip would be not to book the cheapest ticket possible because it might actually turn out to be more expensive at the end. Before you book, you need to have a look at all the airlines flying to your destination, and then at the aircrafts they own. Each plane is a little different, and as such the seats are also different. The cheapest seats have little leg room, and this will be very inconvenient if you’re tall. Additionally, more pricey seats will come will additional services and benefits not offered to those sitting on the lowest priced seats. One of the benefits would be checking in one bag for free.

Booking early increases your chances of getting the best seat for your needs. However, you will have to check out online how the seats are arranged beforehand. An early booking actually allows you to choose the best seat on the plane. You would also have to confirm the booking of the seat at a later date, to be sure the reservation worked. 

Assuming you didn’t manage to reserve the seat you wanted you still have a chance to get it. Many people might book several flights in hopes of getting their desired seat, just like you. They clearly won’t be able to fly on all the planes, therefore they will cancel their reservation. All you have to do is to check back on the site you booked your seat to see if anyone gave up theirs.

Well seasoned travelers prefer sitting only on the exit rows or the bulkhead seats. Many airlines know this by know, and allow booking these seats only during the day of the flight. To increase your chance, book and check-in online: you will reduce the time you spend in the airport as well as the stress related to it.