When booking your flight you will know you are guaranteed a seat, but you may not know where you will end up sitting. Unless of course you select a seat yourself.
But if you get assigned seat F on your flight will you be sitting by the window or next to the aisle? So we are going to ask exactly where is seat F on a plane?
How Airplane Seat Lettering Works
Before we look at where seat F is on a plane it is important to understand the system of designating letters to individual seats on an airplane.
Letters are assigned to seats along with their row number to allow passengers to identify where they are sitting.
They begin with A on the left-hand side of the aircraft and go across the row according to however many seats there are.
This depends on the configuration of that particular aircraft. For most short haul flights the seating configuration will be 3 + 3. So the lettering will be ABC then DEF.
However on larger planes, such as those used for long haul flights there will usually be more seats per row and the lettering will change accordingly.
For example, a large airliner with ten seat rows will have a configuration of 3 + 4 + 3.
The lettering of the seats will be ABC then DEFG and finally HJK. The letter I is omitted as it can be confused with the number one.
On a plane with a 2 + 2 seat layout the allocated letters will typically be AC then DF.
This is to keep in line with the industry standard of A and F being window seats and C and D being aisle seats on smaller airplanes.
Window Seat Or Aisle?
So the location of seat F will depend on the size and layout of the particular airplane you are traveling on and the operating airline.
It will also depend on the class you are booked into, economy, economy plus, business or first class.
In economy and on smaller aircraft typically used for shorter flights the layout may be 2 + 2 or 3 + 3. In these cases seat F will be the window seat.
In the first case the layout will be AC then DF with F being next to the window.
In the second layout the seating is assigned ABC then DEF with again seat F being closest to the window.
On larger planes for long haul flights the row may have nine or ten seats. In these cases the layout may be 3 + 3 + 3 or ABC, DEF, and GHK. Or 3 + 4 + 3, with the assigned letters to be ABC, DEFG, HJK.
In the first case seat F is an aisle seat, in the second case seat F is a middle seat between seats E and G.
So while on smaller aircraft seat F will be a window seat in larger planes this won’t necessarily be the case. It may be an aisle or middle seat.
Is There Always A Seat F On An Airplane?
The majority of aircraft will have a seat F. This is because the industry standard for designating letters means that seats A and F are typically window seats while C and D are typically aisle seats.
So even on a 2 + 2 plane the assigned letters will normally be AC and DF.
However, not all classes will have a seat F. Most typically first class and some business class configurations may omit this seat.
You should be aware also that Delta does not follow the industry standard for designating A and F specifically to window seats. Instead they letter the seats sequentially regardless of layout.
So for example, on their Airbus A220 in Delta comfort the seat configuration is 2 + 3. For many airlines, following the industry standard for window and aisle seats these would be assigned the letters AC and DEF.
But Delta designates them as AB and CDE. So on this aircraft there is no seat F.
Does Seat F Always Guarantee A Window Seat?
Even if there is a seat F on your flight does it always guarantee that it will be a window seat? That depends on the specific layout of the airplane.
Some people always want to be either sitting by the window or next to the aisle. But choosing a window seat doesn’t always guarantee you will have a window.
Certain aircraft such as certain variations of the Boeing 737-900 have window seats that don’t actually have a window.
Although you would expect most seats that are located next to the window to have a physical window this is not always the case.
Depending on where in the fuselage the seat is located there may be something located behind the wall of the aircraft that doesn’t permit the installation of a window.
This is usually air conditioning ducting or something equally functional but necessary to the airplane.
So how do you avoid booking a windowless window seat? Well the airline seating plans are probably not the most helpful in this situation.
Not that they hide the fact that there is no window but more because some of the maps can be generic and not specify individual variations of a specific aircraft.
For example, there are three variations of the Boeing 737-900.
Instead you can use an app such as Seat Guru or Seat Link which will flag problem seats or those you may want to avoid.
Reading A Seating Plan
It is helpful to be able to read a seating chart of a plane. Even though they will vary depending on the airline, airplane type, size and seating classification it is useful to understand the basics.
All seat maps show the front of the aircraft at the top and the rear at the bottom of the chart.
The seat rows are counted from first class and business class through economy plus and economy. Some first class and business class may be mixed.
Row numbers will take into account galleys, lavatories, and storage so subsequent seat rows will follow on sequentially.
Seat lettering is done from left to right starting at A which will be a window seat and going across the cabin.
The letters I, O, Q, S, or Z are not used to indicate seat locations as they can be confused with numbers and are difficult for dyslexia sufferers to distinguish.
Vertical gaps are the aisles and horizontal gaps indicate wider rows such as exit rows or bulkhead seating.
Seat plans are not to scale and are only meant to give a guide to the seating layout. Each seat is indicated by a single square.
Every seat map should have a legend or key which shows what each area represents.
Final Thoughts
Choosing an airplane seat can be the difference between a comfortable flight and one that is an experience to forget.
Making the right seat choice is worth the time and effort you put into it to make sure you arrive at your destination rested and relaxed.
We hope this guide to where seat F on a plane is has enlightened and helped you.
Hi, my name is Jodie Price and I have been a flight attendant for the past four years. Before that, I was a teacher at a local school. During my summer vacations from teaching, I loved to jet off on an exciting adventure whenever I could.
But the flights stressed me and my friends out so much that we almost stopped vacationing altogether. Would another form of transportation be easier?
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