What's the Worst Seat on a Delta Plane?
 

Yesterday, I had a first-class (V) seat on the 9:05 a.m. flight MSY-ATL. When I got to the airport, I saw that Delta has an 8:00 a.m. flight, so I got on the standby list (no fees, either!). I cleared, and they gave me seat 25F on the 757.

I didn't think about it as I was boarding, but after I sat down, I realized that my seat was a candidate for worst seat on the plane. First of all, it's a window, and I like aisles -- as do most frequent flyers, I suspect. Second, Delta's 757s have really tight seat pitch in coach, although I can't tell you exactly how many inches. Then, row 25 doesn't recline, because row 26 is an exit row! However, row 24 DOES recline. So when the woman in 24F reclined her seat, I was really caught in a vise! And I'm only 5'6"! Fortunately, the flight was less than an hour. They served no meal, of course, but I had already grabbed a breakfast bar in the CRC!

Are there any other really bad seats that we should be looking out for? With the recently announced changes to the SkyMiles program, we'll all be in coach a lot more (unless we leave!).

Bruce

Row 21 on the 727 is similarly awful. One is sandwiched between 2 exit rows.

Congratulations. You got one of the worst seats in the DL fleet. Not only are you cramped like a sardine, but you cannot recline your seat! Best coach seat on a 757 is row 10 or the last exit row (I think its 26).

IMHO, any seat except the bulkheads and exit rows on a 777 for an international flight.

At the moment it may be a seat on the flight-deck.

On a 75, row 27 or row 10 are what you want.

IMHO, last 2 rows in an MD 80 make anything on a 757 look good.

Of course, too many of us are spoiled by years of "real" metal. The industrywide proliferation of RJs will be one bucketload of cold water in the face for everybody.

Rows 21 and 22 on 757s where the window seat turns out to be cabin wall instead. Try being boxed into the window seat with no window and the guy in front of you insisting on reclining. That's torture. Seatguru.com is really a great asset in determining seats to avoid!

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Missing the Wings of Man, Whisperliners, and the overall civility in air travel!

www.seatguru.com confirms Bruce's experience.

Unlike Bruce, I prefer a window (except on B/E flights) to an aisle. I know that I can "hold it" fairly well, and I don't care to be inconvenienced by the bladder of my seat opponent. Plus, I prefer the view outside to the one inside.

I learned very early on in my life with DL to NEVER accept row 25 on a 757. The first time was the last time. It is absolutely the worst row on the aircraft.

Don, I absolutely agree about the last 2 rows on the MD-80. I happened to be sitting in a "window" seat in the last row a couple of years ago when the nearside engine gave out with a loud bang about 10 feet from my ear. Talk about making a bad experience worse!

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Vasant

Ditto.

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Vasant

Add my vote for that, especially if you get stuck in the middle seat. Noisy, dark and cramped! Yow!

I guess I fly coach so seldom that I'm not aware of the bad seats. That will likely change. Incidentally, my second flight of the day, ATL-EWR, was a coach-only Shuttle aircraft. I did get home 2 hours early, though!

Bruce

For me the worst seat on a DL plane is the one I have to sit in! I have never had what I consider a totally positive experience on DL EVER! Probably just bad luck, but maybe not.

The same goes for me. But those seats made such an impression that I'm constantly advising family members, friends and colleagues to avoid them!

As far as the future is concerned, my DL flying days are just about over after this year unless the PM benefits are substantially restored.



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Vasant

As a recent new PM who started out 2002 as an FO, I had plenty of coach experience earlier in the year.

Believe it or not, I will not recline my seat in coach if there is someone behind me. I dont find it gives me much more comfort and I feel really bad for the person.

Conversely, I'd prefer if you didn't recline your seat if you are in front of me, especially if i'm planning to try and use my laptop for work or to watch a movie. I also prefer a window like Andy, because I too can "hold it" for a while, and I like a pillow against the side of the plane when i'm tired.

Try this sometime if you're stuck in coach because you didn't want to use 4 500 mile upgrades to do FLL-CLT:

If I really don't want the person in front of me to recline their seat, I cross my legs. Yes, i'm only 5'9", but if you try, you can cross your legs..right after take off. Person in front of you will try to recline the seat, it will not budge, and they think it's either a non-reclining row or the seat is broke. Also - if it's a full flight, can they really turn around and see your legs are crossed? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Try it, it works!

Bob