Motion Sickness - Rear Facing QR suite
Feb 25, 2019, 2:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Raleigh-Durham
Programs: HH Diamond; Marriott Gold; AA Platinum
Posts: 758
Motion Sickness - Rear Facing QR suite
Apologize if this has been discussed - did a search and could not find anything. I am flying from Doha to Chicago and would much prefer to have the seat which is by the window instead of the aisle. But those are rear facing - and there have been mention of avoiding those if you suffer from motion sickness. Is that true? Would love to get some first hand opinions. I have never flown rear facing...period...so have no idea of comparison. I do suffer from queasiness on boats and/or mountainous roads...
Thank you for your replies.
D
Thank you for your replies.
D
Feb 25, 2019, 2:34 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,020
Apologize if this has been discussed - did a search and could not find anything. I am flying from Doha to Chicago and would much prefer to have the seat which is by the window instead of the aisle. But those are rear facing - and there have been mention of avoiding those if you suffer from motion sickness. Is that true? Would love to get some first hand opinions. I have never flown rear facing...period...so have no idea of comparison. I do suffer from queasiness on boats and/or mountainous roads...
Thank you for your replies.
D
Thank you for your replies.
D
If it is worrying you, book a "B" or "J" seat and not "A" or "K". These are forward facing and you can still see out the windows by leaning over the side. Not as easy as the rear facing but definitely possible.
Feb 25, 2019, 2:38 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,592
I have flown a fair amount and including rear facing on both BA (777/787) and Qatar in the Qsuite (777/350) last week. I honestly couldn't even notice which way you are flying in the air. My mother as a reference point cannot travel by train backwards due to it feeling weird for her motion sickness. On the plane, no problems at all. Genuinely if you but a blindfold on and spun around and sat down at a random seat you wouldn't be able to tell the difference..
Other than take off and landing, you can't tell whether you are in front-facing or rear-facing seat... unless you look out a window at the wing and engine.
Feb 25, 2019, 9:16 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: nomadic
Programs: QR Gold/OW Sapphire
Posts: 74
I flew backwards for the first time DOH-JFK last month. To echo the other replies (and further ease your fears), it is not noticeable besides the takeoff and landing. And for those, it's just a bit odd feeling because your body is used to being pushed back in your seat on takeoff due to the acceleration when you face forward, but instead you're feeling those forces pulling you out of your seat when you face backwards. And then the opposite is true on landing.
Feb 25, 2019, 10:50 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 454
An added benefit is that if the plane is ever involved in a survivable incident (something like Asiana 214 at SFO), it is much safer to be facing away from the direction of travel. The whole seat is there to slow you down, not merely a lap belt, greatly reducing whiplash.
Feb 28, 2019, 12:36 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Something-ist, Bombay Sapphire
Posts: 69
I don't get true motion sickness (except boats) but more a rolling/wave like discomfort. My experience is I get less motion sickness when I fly facing backwards. I feel like my head is higher than my feet facing backwards and this helps. Only when I fly facing forward do I get the wave motion discomfort after long flights.
Mar 5, 2019, 3:32 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 394
I get VERY motion sick on everything (it's a curse) and I don't prefer to fly backwards BUT to echo others, I really only got a little sick on the takeoff and landing. It took me a just a few 20 minutes or so to recover but unless you're REALLY bad with motion sickness I doubt you would even notice.