Where do you choose to sit on a plane?!

ditzymuppet

Well my Dad is rather tall (6ft 4) and gets itchy feet (his claim anyway) when he's flying... as he's a strong looking chap, we always ask for an emergency exit seat for him.. he gets his leg room. Depending on the airline they might let the kids sit on the emergency exit...but I don't think we ever sat there

Long legged people = go for the emergency exit seats... and if you're a shortie! Give the long legged people a chance for the emergency exit seats... unless you desperately need the extra couple of inches....

(not that I'm being height elitest... I didn't get any of my dad's height related genes....I'm a shortie myself...)

P.S to the OP... have a happy holiday

~ditzy x

brummybloke

i am 6 foot 5, the worst journey i ever had was flying to egypt, i was placed behind the emergency escape seats, in those seats were old age pensioners, the tallest being about 5 foot 6. not only were the seats so incredibley cramped i could not move once wedged into the chair, the old goat infront of me had the misconception that his chair was a rocking chair as he rocked backwards and forwards the whole journey despite me asking him nicely about 8 times to stop doing it.
i had actualy asked the airline for extra leg room but was told there was no seats left ( despite being one of the first to actualy collect my tickets at the airport).

it didnt help that one of the old people died on the way home mid flight and the message put out over the tanoy was for any one with batteries as the difibrilator was out of juice.

if you have someone tall ( 6 foot 2 and over) make it abundantly clear that you need the extra leg room, not for the luxury of having it, more to save you suing their !!!!!! for cramping you in and getting deep veined thrombosis.

SammyD_2

ditzymuppet wrote:

Long legged people = go for the emergency exit seats... and if you're a shortie! Give the long legged people a chance for the emergency exit seats... unless you desperately need the extra couple of inches....

~ditzy x

I second that - hubby is six foot six and we NEVER get exit row seats on long haul flights. Bearing in mind he is an aircraft engineer and therefore amply qualified to deal with emergency exit doors should the need arise. I am quite happy to sit away from him if it meant he could actually get a seat he can fit into, but we have never had an exit row (on twenty long haul flights in the last four years!) It also means whoever sits infront of him cannot recline their seat.

As a seasoned long hauler my thoughts are as follows:

if you get airsick, over the wings are the most stable.
safest is the rear of the plane.

don't get a window seat, especially if it is 343 configuation - you can never get out.

bulk head seats have less room often, not more (I know others have said they have more, but I have used these a few times in the last couple of years as I have used the bassinets for my babies). There is less leg room and you can't always lift up the arm rests as the tray table is stowed in the arm rest.

if you need to go to the toilet a lot, try to get a seat near the toilets - it saves long queues and you can take advantage of "down time" - everyone goes right after the meal is served and right before landing. If you are paranoid about deep vein thrombosis like I am, you should drink a lot of water on the flight. Hence, this tip.

if you like to sleep, avoid the toilet/galley area as people congregate, often with small children (I know, as I do it!).

some airlines with 343 configuration have the last two or three rows as 242 - if you can get one of the 2 seats, these are really good as they have a bit more room at the side of them.

also, try to check out the airlines seating plan and book seats in advance if possible. And check your boarding passes before you leave the check-in desk to make sure you are ok with what you have got.

Smiley_Mum

I'd go for seats over the wing area as someone else mentioned. I was sat next to a lawyer on a flight to Chicago once and she did say that it's the strongest part of the plane, should there be a crash. Nice....

Who are you flying with?

MarcD_2

Canadian Affair use Thomas Cook (757 East Coast A330 West Coast) and MyTravel (A330)

cheekychappy

Being a newbie to flying, has anyone got any experience of Japan Air..myself and my wife are going on a belated honeymoon to Australia, with a short stop off in Tokyo.
Any hints and tips to get a nice seat with them would be great, as Thomas Cook said we cannot reserve seats until we check in at the desk?

Ali_UK

Personally I have grown into being a very bad traveller - I love flying, it's just my head and stomach that don't! I find I travel much better sitting in front of the wing as there tends to be less vibration.

If you travel on a flight where you choose not to have the meal you will be loaded at the back of the plane and won't be given much of a choice at check in (you'll be told it is because you have opted not to pay £5 for one of their lovely meals!) but if you mention to the steward you don't travel very well you should get moved if they can as they often keep spare seats at the front if they have any - I think they'd rather move you than have to contend with a sick bag!! _pale_

Likewise if one of your party is a nervous flyer and they can't offer you seats together make sure you tell them you don't like flying - they can't afford to have an anxious person sat alone, it's too much trouble.

Quite honestly, my choice of seat is one where I don't have a child a) kicking me in the kidneys the whole journey and/or b) a child peeking over the seat infront or pulling my hair from the seat behind! oh....and c) (well, might as well since I' m sounding like a grumpy !!!!!! anyway!) where there are no smelly people around!

Hell I love flying! :snow_laug

tomstickland

If I fly on Easyjet then I always try to sit in the emergency aisle by the window. Great view and more leg room. When they design aircraft, there is an engine exploding damage zone that extends in a cone back from the engine, so that's a good place not to sit if you don't believe in statistics.

Smiley_Mum

cheekychappy wrote:

Being a newbie to flying, has anyone got any experience of Japan Air..myself and my wife are going on a belated honeymoon to Australia, with a short stop off in Tokyo.
Any hints and tips to get a nice seat with them would be great, as Thomas Cook said we cannot reserve seats until we check in at the desk?

There is loads of info on all airlines on this site. Here is the link for info on Japan Airlines, looks promising. Have a good trip. :-)

http://www.carsurvey.org/air/airline_Japan+Airlines.html

Smiley_Mum

Trolley dolly?