| Getting a good, if not the best seat |
Short of booking an entire row, there's no sure-fire way to guarantee that you won't be bumping shoulders with someone during your next coach-class flight. There is absolutely nothing worse than getting a center seat on the plane! However, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of sitting in a less crowded and noisy area.
- If you're choosing between several flights, inquire as to how full each flight is and then select the least crowded.
- Seat assignment on many airlines start 30 days in advance of the flight and with other carriers, up to 90 days (with the exception of Low Cost Carriers and some shuttle flights, which do not assign seats at all).
- Aisle seats are always the first to go, followed closely by window seating. Aisle seats have more leg room - window seats have less (due to the curvature inwards of the plane's sides). The longer you wait to book your flight plans, the greater the chance you will have of ending up with a center seat.
- Bulkhead seating is generally reserved for frequent flyers - always enroll in the carrier's frequent flyer program to procure better seating, regardless of your preference.
- If you're traveling with one other person, ask for seating assignments in the aisle and window seats in the same row on the same side of the plane. The middle seat, which is typically assigned last, may well remain empty, and you'll each be next to an empty seat. (If someone is assigned to the middle seat after all, one of you can simply ask to switch places with that passenger, who will probably be only too glad to give up the middle seat, allowing you two to sit together.)
- Depending on the seat configuration of the aircraft, it can also be a good idea to request a seat assignment in the center section toward the back of the plane, since the side sections of seats near the front fill up first.
- Once you arrive at your gate, ask the agent to place you next to an empty seat if one is available. If the flight is not full, the agent can often accommodate this request.
- If there's a particular location within the plane that you want to occupy, let the airline know in advance. Most airlines can provide printed brochures of the cabin configurations for the aircraft they fly; obtain a brochure in advance, then request a specific seat number when making your seat assignments.
- If your legs get cramped, you might volunteer to sit in one of the emergency-exit rows, which provide more leg room and often have one fewer seats than a regular row. Be aware, however, that seats in emergency-exit rows sometimes do not recline.
- Exit row seating cannot be assigned to anyone under the age of 15, nor blind or disabled passengers. However, you cannot reserve these seats, so if you desire an exit row seating for the extra leg room, arrive EARLY at the airport and request it. Note: On some aircraft the exit row seating does not always recline. The emergency-exit row is a safe haven for those who prefer a kid-free flight experience, as children are not allowed to occupy these seats. Another good way to avoid small children is to avoid bulkhead rows, which are often occupied by families.
- When booking through a @travel.com web site, take advantage of seat maps whenever possible. The seat maps feature, available during the online booking process, lets you request where in the aircraft you'd like to sit.
- Another smart trick: As soon as everyone has boarded, scope out the nearest pair of empty seats and stake your claim--pronto! However, due to weight balancing restrictions the cabin crew will not allow this before the plane is in flight and the seat belt sign has been turned off. So, if there are open seats more to your liking, request to move from the flight attendant as soon as the seat belt sign goes off.
- Seats near the center and rear tend to have the greatest engine noise. Seats near the rear are the most sensitive to turbulence. If you can sleep however, through engine noise and slight turbulence, book window seats in the back of the plane. You will have somewhere to rest your head while sleeping.
- On international flights, the seats closest to the galleys are usually the quietest (except at meal times) because there is no middle row.
- If using a travel agent, request that a notation is made in your profile for notification of any center aisle seating. This will alert you to arrive earlier for your flight. All unclaimed seats are released prior to boarding - alert the check-in attendant at check-in your preference for a better seat.
- If traveling with children, advise the carrier at time of reservation. If at all possible, they will do their best to assign a family together for seating.
- If working on the flight and traveling with a colleague, consider two aisle seats across from each other and make your reservations together on the same phone call. You will each have more leg room and less likely to be seated further apart on the flight.
Reconfirming Your Seat
As a general rule for domestic flights, it's no longer imperative that you reconfirm your seat when traveling on a major airline (but it certainly can't hurt). However, if you have booked special meals or require any special assistance, touching base with the airline at least 24 hours in advance of travel is recommended.
For international flights and flights on smaller airlines, reconfirming your seat and travel times is important. In these instances, you should contact the airline about 72 hours before departure.
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