Seating question on long flights
Aug 30, 2009 | 1:50 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 254
Seating question on long flights
I am new to flying internationally. We are flying to London in the spring and are starting to look at flights. Only preferred seating and business class is in the front of the plane. Is it better to sit over the wing or farther in the back. Thanks for your help!!!!!
Aug 30, 2009 | 4:04 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Deep in the heart of...DL country.
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 3,838
Aug 30, 2009 | 4:12 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Palm Coast, FL (DAB) USA
Posts: 242
However, as mentioned, www.SeatGuru.com is your friend.
Aug 30, 2009 | 4:16 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: on the Llano Estacado
Posts: 2,652
Ditto the advice on SeatGuru. In general, with wing-mounted jets, if you can't sit in front of them, you will have appreciably less noise if you sit far behind the wings. OTOH, if you sit too far back you may have lots of noise and activity from the galley or folks lining up for the restrooms. Also, depending upon the airline, you may be late on/off the plane and find little or no overhead space. On some planes, curvature of the fuselage may make window seats cramped in some of the last rows. Tradeoffs, tradeoffs. Perhaps sitting as far forward as possible with a good set of noise-cancellation headphones is best.
Aug 30, 2009 | 4:19 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: BLL/CPH Denmark
Programs: Eurobonus
Posts: 117
It is most comfortable to be above the wing, as it is close to the center of gravity! During heavy turbulence the plane tends to flex alot, and that on bigger plane it can become the reason to airsickness...
Aug 30, 2009 | 4:27 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Norway, Maine
Programs: United Silver and HH Diamond
Posts: 1,538
If you do not have status (and I assume that you do not) there are several factors to think about. I'm a big guy 6'2", 250 lbs and I hate being cramped in the middle or against the window. So, I always try to get an aisle seat on long flights. I like to be able to get up and walk around.
There is one exception to the sit up front rule imo: if you find out that there are plenty of empty seats (or better yet a row of empty seats) in the back of plane, take one of those. If I can take two or three seats for a trans-Atlantic or trans-pacific flight, it's the closest thing to First Class without being in that section.
There is one exception to the sit up front rule imo: if you find out that there are plenty of empty seats (or better yet a row of empty seats) in the back of plane, take one of those. If I can take two or three seats for a trans-Atlantic or trans-pacific flight, it's the closest thing to First Class without being in that section.
Aug 31, 2009 | 9:36 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,810
While I too like sitting forward, keep in mind that with some carriers that board "back to front" the forward economy rows are boarded last. This means if you don't have early boarding with status and the flight is full you won't have any overhead bin space, all the people who have boarded ahead of you will have filled up the bins...
Aug 31, 2009 | 10:00 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 127
They normally board window seats first for obvious reasons... But then again it takes longer to get off and to go to the toilet. Overhead bin space seems to be less of an issue on international flights than local ones, simply because the planes are bigger.
Aug 31, 2009 | 10:21 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: IAD
Programs: united, american, alaska
Posts: 1,845
I think I've been on some flights that were serviced from the back, too, but those were typically on weirder airlines.
Aug 31, 2009 | 12:09 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: California
Programs: various
Posts: 4,240
This is also apparently the case on flights to Hawaii.