Wing Or No Wing? Where To Sit On A Plane
Getting on a plane can often be a very nervy experience, and often the hardest part of any flight is deciding where exactly the best place is to sit!
The difference between a good seat and a bad seat can completely change the experience of a flight altogether.
So, by learning which of the seats on the plane are the best, depending on both your travel style and what your priorities are when it comes to flying, then it will make it much easier for you to sit back and relax as you make your way to your dream destination!
Thankfully, if you’re unsure about which part of the plane is going to be best for you to sit, then worry no more, as we’ve done all of the research so that you don’t have to!
How To Choose The Best Seat
Everyone is different so whether you’re a heavy sleeper or someone who often finds themselves struggling for leg room because of their height, then we have all of the best seats to choose from no matter what sort of passenger you are!
For A Smooth Ride
Unfortunately, turbulence is practically unavoidable when it comes to flying, however, your best bet for a smooth ride whilst flying is to try and choose a seat close to the middle of the plane.
The further away from the wings of the plane you are, the more you’re likely to feel the turbulence affecting the plane.
This is because the nose and the tail of the plane are further away from the plane’s center of gravity, which pivots as the plane experiences turbulence.
If you have the choice between aircraft on the same route, then choosing a larger, heavier aircraft means that you’ll tend to experience a little less turbulence than usual!
For Sleeping
Are you someone who enjoys nothing more than a long snooze whilst on the plane, then you’re going to want to pay attention to which of the seats on the plane is going to be the best for you!
The best seat for you to pick is a window seat, ideally on the left hand side of the plane.
There are a few reasons that make this such a great choice, with the first being that you won’t have to worry about the people sitting next to you having to wake you up in order to use the restroom, nor will they have to pass the refreshments over to you either.
You can also have full control of the lighting, and the front of the plane is arguably the quietest.
Plus, the left side windows are off center due to the door’s positioning, so you can use the part of the plane’s wall to lean against in order to sleep better!
For Leg Room
Being tall, and flying on a plane can often suck, you’ll find yourself squeezed into awkward positions or will have your knees squashed against the seats in front of you, ultimately it’s an uncomfortable experience and can put you off flying altogether.
This is why you should try to position yourself on the emergency exit row, with the best one being an aisle seat. Usually, planes have two over-wing exit rows.
The best of these two rows is the second row, this is because the first exit row will be unable to recline in front of you, ensuring that you have plenty of space.
However, if you have the ability to, then opting for premium economy seating is another great option to ensure that you have plenty of space, most of the time these seats are available all the way up until boarding time, so you shouldn’t have a problem getting access, but it is much easier to do this if you have some form of elite or premium status with your chosen airline.
For A Quick Exit
No matter how long your flight might happen to be, there is absolutely nothing worse than having to wait ages in order to get off the plane and wait for your luggage, which is why these seats are going to be the best for you to make a swift exit from the plane.
The best seats for this are going to be towards the front of the plane, as it is much closer to the door, which makes deplaning even quicker.
If the plane you’re flying on has two aisles, then you’re much better off choosing a seat in the front that has access to the left-hand side of the plane, this is because the boarding door is always on the left side of the plane, which is why this aisle tends to deplane much quicker than those on the right aisle.
For Safety
Did you know that where you sit on the plane does actually have some effect on the chances of you surviving in the very unlikely case that the plane does have to make an emergency landing.
So, the seats with the highest chance of surviving a crash are towards the back, which has a 69% chance of surviving.
This compares to the 56% chance when sat towards the wings, and 49% for those who sat themselves towards the front of the plane.
For Travelling With Kids
Travelling on a flight with kids can be terrifying, and filled with dread.
The last thing you want to happen is finding yourself stuck in the center seat with your kids kicking and screaming, plus, last minute emergencies to the restroom can be stressful if you have to try and navigate your way past loads of people.
Therefore, the best seat for you to go for is going to be somewhere in the bulkhead row, which will provide you with extra space, which will allow your kids to move around and stretch out a little bit without causing you any discomfort.
Plus, it also means that your kids will be less likely to be a bother to the row in front of you, which will make the flight much less awkward!
For Larger Passengers
Much like tall people, larger passengers often struggle with the dimensions of the seating arrangements on most flights, however, there is still a best seat to choose, which means that if you are on the larger side, you can still be comfortable for the duration of your flight!
The best seat to choose is most definitely going to be the aisle seat. But aisle seats have those awful armrests that dig into your ribs and make you uncomfortable, right?
Well, what you might not know, is that most armrests on the aisle seat are able to lift up!
This means that you can shuffle yourself into the aisle a little more, and allows you to give your seat neighbour a little more room, which results in a more comfortable ride for both you and them!
Summary
Ultimately, there’s the perfect seat out there for everyone, and with enough flying, you too will soon find your perfect seat!
Jodie Price
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?