yonatan

Am booking a 5 hour flight and plan to pay for XL seats. I can choose any seat in row 1 or rows 12 or 13 right now. Flight is on an A321 with 31 rows on both sides. Interested in input on what's the best seat to pick.

A few years ago I flew in row 13 and thought the extra legroom was minimal. Is row 1ABC much better? Do people waiting for the lavatory gather in the space in front of these?

And within 1ABC, which has the worst drawback - 1A (with the emergency exit chute taking up some legroom), 1B (middle seat), or 1C (aisle seat presumably near people queuing for the lavatory). If sitting in 1A or 1B, is it easy to get out and into the aisle without having the 1C pax get up?

Thanks for any info

corporate-wage-slave

You are getting knee room rather than leg room. But as you've worked out, there is a big piece of space on 1A-B-C which is the crew seating area during take off and landing. There is a bit of fuselage creep on 1A but it's fine for me, 1C yes, people may congregate there but usually go a little further forward, so I wouldn't be particularly concerned. There isn't a bulkhead on 1A-C so yes you can get up from any of those 3 seats without disturbing anyone else. During take off and landing, while the crew is seated then the legroom is briefly constrained.

The emergency row seating further back does have a noticeable amount of extra space between the seats, and has the advantage of a table/storage area on the seat in front, so personally I would prefer this space. However it would be impossible to get from the window seat to the aisle without disturbing the other people in the row. If the flight is less than full you may have an empty middle seat, since they still charge extra for it.

It should be pointed out that those who pay for these seats often are larger than average in terms of build. So it's not unusual to have 3 big males in these seats.

DYKWIA

Is that true for the A321? The A320s have been refurbished so there is a 'bulkhead' between the seats and the door. The NEOs are the same.

I would have thought the A321 would be the same?

bradders239

I flew on Saturday with my wife. Booked emergency exit D&F. We got the whole row as no one wants the middle

DYKWIA

Just to add... I tend to book row 2 on EasyJet. This makes it a bit easier to board very late, as I can just stuff my bag under the seat in front if the overhead bins are full. Most of my flights are pretty short, so I don't mind.

In row 1 (or the emergency exits I believe), you can't use the seat in front for your bag.

yonatan

Thanks for the info. I saw that purchasing the extra legroom seat allows me to bring an additional "underseat item" for free. Can I still do that (and put it in the overhead bin) if I bought a seat in Row 1 where there's no seat to fit it under?

Also slightly o/t, - my backback fits within Easyjet's permissible dimensions for the underseat item (45x36x20cm) although I've found in the past that mainline European airlines view it with suspicion and try to count it as the one carry on even when it's within a personal item size - should I expect similar "backpack prejudice" with Easyjet?

Yonatan

ft101

Yes.

There is no "personal item" allowance so you have two bags, one of each size, and that's it.

DYKWIA

Try to get to the gate early, so you can be one of the first on. Otherwise you risk having your bigger bag gate checked, and the smaller bag put somewhere away from you.

lehovec

Probably too late now, but just adding information for future reference, if anyone needs it...

EZY operates (legroom/seat wise) 5 different types of a/c:

• A319 - row 1ABC 'unlimited' legroom as no bulkhead, for take off and landing cabin crew are sitting opposite. Row 1DEF, bulkhead seat, so some extra legroom, rows 10 and 11 emergency exit, slightly more leg room. None of this have under seat storage as classed as emergency exit seats, so boarding early to stove bags above highly advisable especially for row 1. This seats come with SB (speedy boarding) if seat selection paid for (if flight is full and last to check in these seats might be assigned FOC). Row 7ABC has got slightly more legroom as this is where rows on a/c left and right finally meet (left side of the a/c is slightly out of the alignment compared to the right side).

• A320 - space flex galley - row 1ABC and DEF have got some extra legroom but limited due to bulkhead in front. Rows 12 and 13 extra legroom

• A320 - old style / none left on the G- (UK) register - 1ABC unlimited legroom / 1 DEF have got some extra legroom but limited due to bulkhead in front. Rows 12 and 13 extra legroom. 29 DEF has got noticeable amount of extra legroom due to positioning of the toilet behind it (rows are misaligned)

• A320 NEO - 1ABC although bulkhead seats, this row has got noticeable amount of extra legroom, more then 1DEF which is again bulkhead seat, Rows 12 and 13 extra legroom.

• A321 - row 1ABC and 2DEF have got some extra legroom but limited due to bulkhead in front. Rows 18 and 19 extra legroom (emergency exits). 29 ABC are the best seats as they are next to the emergency exit and have unlimited legroom. Same goes for 29DE, 29F is similar however sitting opposite cabin crew for take off and landing. Row 28 have got ever so slightly more legroom but are only two pairs of double seats so quite nice for couples.

Hope this helps anyone looking for this info in future.

lehovec

This is A320 not A321. 321 has got 40 rows.

Yes people do congregate here waiting for the toilet and on XL flights to strecth their legs. Getting out of 1A takes some yoga activity but possible, 1B is easy.

If it is XL flight from the UK then it will be operated by UK based a/c so 1ABC will have bulkhead in front. I personally prefer rows 12 and 13. It is not greatest amount of extra legroom but it is warmer (row 1 on XL flights gets freezing + in rows 12 and 13 you can stretch your legs under the seat in front which in row 1 you cannot due to bulkhead). Last piece of advice, Always choose row 12 over 13. Row 14 can have a child sitting in it and they do get bored on XL flights so some amount of seat kicking, tray table slamming etc is possible which is avoidable by selecting row 12 (no children allowed in row 13).

If you have already chosen your seat and would like to change it you can do it no problem until check in. If you already checked in online then you will have to call them (they will cancel your check in and change your seat) and then you can check in again.

AJCNL

Extra leg room and up front seats come with Speedy Boarding. You are only guaranteed the larger item if you use Speedy Boarding, and that means you have to be at the gate promptly to be allowed on first. If you don't, you forfeit the guarantee to take the larger item on board.

yonatan

Thanks so much! Based on the seatmap Easyjet was showing me, I was under the false impression that there was no bulkhead in front of Row 1 until your posts set me straight! Is there an easy way to tell from a seat map if I'll be on an A320 or A320neo?

I wanted to make sure I understood that your reference to being able to get out of 1A with some yoga applies specifically to the A320?

In rows 12/13, would it be harder/impossible to get out of the window seat without making my seatmates get up?

Thanks again!

yonatan

I'd actually be happy to gate-check my larger bag if they'd do it for free - would they typically agree to that even if I have speedy boarding? And is there any reason to think the bag's likelier to get lost than the typical checked bag if it's gate-checked?

DYKWIA

Which is just what I said

DYKWIA

It's less likely to get lost if they gate check it, as it goes directly from the gate (or even the plane in some cases) to the baggage loaders. There is no charge.

I really wish EasyJet would allow the option to check your cabin bags for free before the gate, They charge £8 (I think) at the moment.