The Best Airline Seats and How to Get Them
When you are flying you will want to get the best airline seats available. In order to do that you will have to think about a few things. This page tells you what to look for.
When you are flying you will want to get the best airline seats available. In order to do that you will have to think about a few things.
First – Choosing the Right Airlines
Every airline has its own type of aircraft and its own booking systems; some airlines offer chartered flights and some offer scheduled flights; some airlines operate a “no seat allocation policy”, which means you need to be at the front of the boarding queue if you are going to get the seat of your choice.
That also means that the ‘best airline seat’ will be different on each airline.
Make enquiries by email or phone before you settle on a particular airline. If their booking system tells you little or nothing about the planes you will be flying on, this will be a bit harder. But someone somewhere knows which plane is assigned to that route and you can find out if you do a bit of digging.
It is important to be informed of the implications of each of these factors if you are to get the best airline seats.
Second – Choosing the Right Aircraft
A site like seatguru.com will give you lots of information about the specific planes particular airlines use and which are the best and worst seats on each type of plane.
That’s great information but before you can make much use of it you need to know which type of plane you will be flying on. Most airlines have that information available on their booking sites but if you are using a travel agent or booking through a travel company online you might need to call or e-mail to find out which plane you will be flying on.
Third – Booking Your Seat Well in Advance When Possible
Believe me, if you have never traveled first class, those really are the BEST airline seats available!
If you don’t manage to get upgraded at check-in, don’t take it too badly. But be aware that someone else might have been upgraded and they MIGHT have left some better seats available in cabin class. If you go to the member of the airline’s staff at the gate, there is another chance to get those better seats that have become available.
Your last chance to improve your seat is on the plane itself. If you see the attendants closing the doors of the aircraft and there are still some empty seats that are better than those you are in. People get lost, drunk or plain terrified of flying in the terminal and never actually make it on to the plane. If this happens, ask a flight attendant if you can change seats.
Some Tips About Getting the Best Airline Seats for You
• Don’t choose your flight ONLY by the price.
When flying to Florida from London, I always choose American Airlines if I can. This is a personal preference based on 23 years of regular flying. In all that time I have NEVER had a bad experience with American Airlines. I wish I could say the same for other airlines.
But American Airlines are rarely the cheapest possible option. On a recent booking to Miami it cost me a full $23.00 more than the cheapest available ticket! Now, for the sake of $23.00 I am getting:
– a wider seat
– more legroom
– a better entertainment selection
– a newer aircraft
– free non-alcoholic drinks throughout the flight in full cans!(unlike a chartered flight)
– a better meal selection (and, based on past experience, a better quality of meals)
– another selection of air miles to allow me to get free tickets or free upgrades on future flights.
All that for less than $700.00 for a round trip ticket to Miami in August!
• Confirm your seat allocation about 5 to 7 days before you fly.
If you call the airline at this time, you might be able to get a different and better seat. People cancel seats for all sorts of reasons and you might be able to move into their seats at this time.
• Make use of online check-in facilities if they are available on your airline.
Bulkhead seats are often reserved until the day of flying in case there are bookings from disabled people or people who have some other medical reason for needing extra space. If you check-in online on the day of your flight, you might find that these seats have become available. If you like or need extra legroom, these are probably the best airline seats for you.
I hope you have found some of these hints and tips helpful. We’d love to hear your stories about how you managed to get the best airline seats for your flight so we can pass on your comments to help others.
Because more and more airlines are offering pre-bookable seats, people are choosing their seats a long time in advance. This means that if you are booking a late or last minute ticket, your plane may have had all its best seats booked already.
If possible, get in early and choose the seat you want. If early booking is not possible, you can still do a bit of negotiating at the airport!
Fourth – Asking for Upgrades or Changes
When you arrive at the check-in desk, the first thing you should do is ask whether there are any available upgrades. When seats in economy or cabin class have been filled or, even better, overbooked, you have a chance of being upgraded to business or first class where seats may still be available. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing this!
It helps if you are a member of the airline’s loyalty program at this point too. Just go to the website of the airline and look for their “loyalty program”,”frequent flyer club” or “advantage club”. Each airline calls it something different but they all have one!
If you have a membership card, tuck it inside the pocket of your passport cover to make it subtly clear that you are in fact a member. I admit I have only been successful at this about half a dozen times in my life – but those 1st class trips definitely made it worth asking on the few occasions I was not successful.
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