Gaining some extra personal space on an airplane can make the difference between a comfortable flight and a tedious one. Reserving bulkhead seats may be a way to improve upon in-flight comfort. Depending upon the aircraft, however, these seats may not be a panacea. Learning more about bulkhead seats and researching the aircraft prior to booking a flight are recommended.
What Is a Bulkhead Seat?
A bulkhead seat is located directly behind the aircraft's section dividers. These dividers most commonly separate First Class from Economy Class, but may also divide the kitchen or bathroom areas from the seating rows. The partitions may be semi-permanent hard walls or just curtains. The location and characteristics of bulkhead seats vary from aircraft to aircraft, and even from airline to airline.
Benefits of a Bulkhead Seat
Because of the partition, bulkhead seats do not have seats in front of them. Therefore, no one can recline into a bulkhead seat. It can be easier to use a laptop, watch a DVD or get out of the seat and into the aisle in a bulkhead seat. Depending upon the partition, some bulkhead seats have extra leg room, while others do not. Unlike the policies for exit rows, there is no added passenger responsibility to sit in a bulkhead seat, so any passenger is allowed to sit there.
Downsides of Bulkhead Seats
Some of the benefits of bulkhead seats are also downsides. For example, because there is no added passenger responsibility, people traveling with small children or bassinets may sit here. Because there are no seats in front of them, the tray tables and personal televisions are built into the bulkhead seats themselves and can be cumbersome. On some aircraft, the section's movies may be projected on the bulkhead partition directly in front of the seats. There is no under-seat storage for carry-on bags; all bags must be stored in the overhead compartments during takeoff and landing.
How to Find Bulkhead Seats
Before booking a flight, research the aircraft seating to determine whether or not there are bulkhead seats and to uncover any details about the seats. The airline seating chart might indicate which seats are bulkhead seats, but will likely not provide any additional information. Because bulkhead seats can vary widely, a little research may go a long way.
When to Reserve a Bulkhead Seat
If any of the following situations apply to your needs and to your flight, then a bulkhead seat might be beneficial:
- If you need to work on a laptop for the majority of the flight.
- If you are not capable of performing the functions required of exit row seating.
- If your height requires some extra leg room, and you know the aircraft bulkhead seats provide extra space.
Of course, last-minute aircraft changes pose problems for any advance planning. Consult a third-party site for information about bulkhead seats on the new aircraft, or ask at the check-in counter.