The Horrors of “Deep Coach” (and How to Avoid It)
Joe Cortez January 31, 2020
For some travelers, the simple mention of riding in coach is enough to strike fear. But for the experienced, there’s an even deeper level where not even angels dare tread. This is called “Deep Coach,” and the experience is among the worst in the economy levels. How do you identify “Deep Coach,” and how do you prevent it?
Every airplane has a section of seats worse than others. These are the seats similar to what ultra-low cost carriers fly, and can be enough to make even the most seasoned flyers cringe. FlyerTalkers call this “Deep Coach” – and if you’re sitting in this section, prepare for a hard flight.
What is Deep Coach? More importantly, how can you avoid it? From our analysis, we present you a warning about the reality of Deep Coach.
Source: Flickr/Mike Fernwood
What is Deep Coach?
As its name suggests, Deep Coach is the part of the plane with the most uncomfortable seats and the unruliest of flyers. The Deep Coach section is where the “Worst Passengers of the Week” come from, with ignorance to their ways or what they are doing to their fellow passengers. And unlike other parts of the plane, Deep Coach has no escape: Once you are stuck in, you are in for the ride.
If you were to look at it on an airplane map, Deep Coach is towards the back of the airplane, where seat pitch is barely over 30 inches, and the middle aisle is as much as four seats across. If you were planning to enjoy your flight in the middle seat, you may be greatly mistaken – or over-optimistic, to say the least.
Image Source: Cathay Pacific
How Can I Avoid Deep Coach and Find the Best Seats on the Plane?
The good news is that most Deep Coach seats are avoidable. It all depends on your flight, your elite status and if you are willing to pay a little more to get out of this flying purgatory.
If you have elite status with your airline, Deep Coach is a little more avoidable than on other flights. Before check-in, you should be able to choose a “plus” seat in the economy section prior to departure, like American’s Main Cabin Extra or United Economy Plus. These give you a little more legroom and dedicated overhead bin space, so you can fly with some confidence.
If you aren’t a loyal flyer, these seats are often for sale before departure – but do add an additional cost to your flight. For slightly less extra cost, you can try flying in an economy seat near the exit row. They offer more legroom (but sometimes come with the drawback of not being able to recline your seat.
Related: Where to Sit on United: Advice From People Who’ve Sat There Before
If you don’t want to pay for an “upgraded” seat (term used loosely), there are also some alternatives. Flyers have been able to find outliers in the system, like the British Airways “Economy Throne,” and other tricks to make a flight more comfortable. Before you settle for your fate in Deep Coach:
- Read trip reports: The wealth of experience on the FlyerTalk forums can help you better decide which seats are the best, and which give you a chance to enjoy your flight a little more.
- Check FlyerTalk’s Where to Sit Series: Not all seats are created equal, and FlyerTalk knows that because FlyerTalkers, collectively, have probably sat in every seat that’s ever flown the friendly and even not-so-friendly skies. If you want to know what seat is too close to the bathroom, won’t recline, or puts you right in earshot of chatter from the galley, it’s the place to go (you can find a guide to finding out the type of seat you’re on here).
- Check aircraft maps: Not all seats are created equal. Use an aircraft map to get a better handle on what seats are hot, and what seats are less than desirable.
- Check the airline forums: FlyerTalkers often dish on the best seats across carriers. If you have a question about how to avoid Deep Coach, try reading what FlyerTalkers say about your airline of choice.
How do you avoid Deep Coach? Share your tips on the FlyerTalk forums!
[Image Source: Wikimedia Commons/Kārlis Dambrāns from Latvia]
.jpg){kind=link}
What a thick article. You usually find more flight noobs struggling to find their seat or extract luggage from the overhead bins at the front of the economy cabins.
if i fly coach, i always request the very last row and use my status fior early boarding. the flight attendants are cool to talk to, it's way less crowded and bathroom is like 3 feet away. only draw back is deplaning, but I just chill out and wait until everyone is off which is actually less stressful than waiting mid-plane.
What nonsense. If I am in ordinary coach, on most planes I always pick the last few rows -- closer to the bathroom, better chances of having an empty seat next to you (though more unlikely lately), and closer to the gallery to get another drink on longer haul flights. The regular economy rows behind the '+" seats are usually where the neurotic passengers are who just can't stand being 1 row further back than they have to be.
How are these seats? United Economy (HN) Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner Seat 44J Seat 33J
Oh my. Come on back and join us hoi polloi in the back of the bus, it's not that bad. I agree about tight seating - on a flight YUL-CDG I was in the last third of the plane in a middle seat in a 3 -4-3 Boeing 777. Drop something and you have to get really creative to figure out how to retrieve it. But the people? I can't be flying on the same plane. People in the back can be good natured and cooperative. Like Connie Dee, look for good people, you usually find them.