There are a number of emergency seats on the plane. Other nuances of choice. Choose in advance and register

Question "How to book seats in the cabin" many travelers are interested, because this opportunity provides an excellent chance to make their trip more comfortable. This is due to the fact that not all seats on airplanes meet the requirements that this or that air passenger imposes on them. Below are all the options that allow you to book exactly those seats in the cabin that, in your opinion, will provide the maximum level of comfort during the flight.

THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE (click on the link for a quick jump)

Detailed information about what kind of seats there are on airplanes, about the advantages and disadvantages of such seats for various categories of passengers can be found on the page. Once you have determined, based on the available information, which option is most preferable to you, you can choose one of three options, each of which, with a high degree of probability, will allow you to book the seat on the plane that suits you the most.

Seat selection during check-in

The classic way of choosing a place, which before the advent of the opportunity was the only possible one. The bottom line is to arrive at the airport at the start of check-in for your flight in order to be one of the first to go to the counter and ask the airline employee (usually girls) for the seat you want to get. Sometimes the flight registrars themselves are interested in your preferences in this regard, but it’s better not to take risks and, without hesitation, immediately tell us about the places where you would like to sit during the flight. In most cases, your wishes will be fulfilled, and you will get the place you asked for without any problems. For example, next to the window in the front of the aircraft or at the aisle in the rear of the cabin.

The easiest way to book seats in the described way, provided that you are flying alone or as a couple. It’s already more difficult for three or four people to choose places nearby, but it’s possible: again, provided that they arrived at registration early, not everyone best places already disassembled. If you are flying in pairs or threes, I advise you to approach the check-in desk all together and present all your passports at once (if you approach in turn, someone else may well take the seats on the plane next to the first passenger by booking it at another check-in desk or online).

As I already wrote, usually, if there are free seats, the airline employees at the check-in counter will meet the passengers and provide them with the desired seats, however, in order to increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome, I advise you to be polite and smile. In other words, try to win over with personal charm. But it’s better not to give a bribe, because now airlines often control their employees on this account, and lose a job because of an extra 500 rubles (that’s how much they usually put in a passport for booking right place) nobody wants.

A few years ago, it was the early check-in for the flight that I used most often and usually got the desired seat. However, due to the development of the system electronic registration And online shopping air tickets, there are ways that give a greater guarantee of getting your preferred seat in the cabin.

Booking a seat on an airplane when buying a ticket

In the case when you purchase a plane ticket on the official website of the airline, even before the moment of payment, you will be offered an aircraft diagram with vacant seats marked on it. Of course, the earlier you buy a ticket before departure, the more convenient seats there will be, therefore, in a situation where there are several weeks left before the flight, airline websites often no longer have designated empty seats at the window (the most interesting thing is that later, when choosing a seat at the check-in counter , they "appear").

So, right on the website of the air carrier, you can choose seats for all segments of your trip at once. For example, when purchasing air tickets departing from Moscow on special offers from airlines from the Persian Gulf (Emirates, Etihad or Qatar), with the help of which it is often possible, you have the opportunity to pre-book seats on four aircraft at once. For example, Moscow-Dubai, Dubai-Bangkok, Bangkok-Dubai and Dubai-Moscow. Later, during the check-in process, just tell the airline employee (just in case) that you have already selected seats when buying tickets.

However, in addition to the advantages of this method, there are some disadvantages. For example, some airlines do not allow you to select emergency exit seats with more legroom during the ticket purchase process, preferring to give these seats to tall and well-supervised passengers only at the check-in counter. Therefore, if you want to book these particular seats in the cabin, you still have to apply to the check-in desk.

In addition, some airlines charge additional fee for the opportunity to select a seat on the airline's website. For example, british airways estimates such a service from $16 to $32 for choosing a seat in an economy class for flights over medium and long distances, respectively. When choosing a seat in a business class, you will have to pay almost $100 at all (IMHO, an extra waste of money, because all seats in this class have increased comfort and are located only in front of the aircraft).

Increasingly, online flights the best prices you can buy not on the official websites of airlines, but with the help of a special service (the search form is located above) that searches 728 airlines at once, including low-cost airlines. As a result, in the process of buying air tickets, you have to deal with intermediaries - special agencies. As a rule, this does not increase the cost of the air ticket (and sometimes makes it cheaper), it just eliminates the possibility of choosing a seat on the plane on your own. best way out in such a situation - in the process of applying for a ticket on the agency's website, write in the notes about your requirements regarding the choice of seats or inform the agent about it by phone.

Reservation of seats on the plane during online check-in

All more people they do not use the classic check-in for a flight, which I wrote about above, but more convenient in some cases online check-in. To do this, you can use either special online check-in counters at the airport where you are flying from (pictured above), or you can check-in with a choice of a seat in the cabin directly on the airline's website. This opportunity usually appears a day before the departure of your aircraft or for a different period of time, depending on the policy of the airline you have chosen. For example, Etihad allows this procedure to be done 24 hours before departure and blocks this possibility two hours before the aircraft takes off according to the approved schedule.

On the one hand, the advantage of the latter method is obvious: there is no need to arrive at the airport several hours before departure and stand in line for check-in there. You can arrive an hour before departure and immediately go through the necessary procedures (passport and customs control). Just don't forget your seat-selected boarding passes at home or at work, which you'll need to print at the end of the online check-in process.

However, there are also disadvantages: online check-in with some airlines is not possible for passengers with small children, for passengers with luggage and for passengers carrying animals on the plane. On the other hand, some airlines, on the contrary, provide bonuses for online check-in. For example, Etihad allows you to increase Weight Limit baggage for 7 kg (although not for all airports and Minsk is not included in this list). By the way, in any case, I recommend arriving at the airport early, because if online check-in with luggage is allowed by your airline, this same luggage will still have to be weighed and checked in at a special counter, so it’s better not to be late, because nerve cells are not restored well.

At the end of the article, one more helpful advice: before online check-in on an aircraft with a choice of seats, familiarize yourself in advance with the layout of these seats directly in the model and modification of the aircraft that is declared for your flight (usually such information is provided in the printout of your electronic ticket). As a rule, such diagrams (on which the rows and seats are numbered, emergency and regular exits, the location of galleys and toilets) are on the websites of all major airlines.

Reservation of seats on the plane through a mobile application

In our time, when information technology is rapidly developing, and most people can no longer imagine their lives without the daily use of smartphones, it would be wrong not to mention another way to check in for a flight and choose a seat in the cabin . We are talking about the use of mobile applications from airlines. Most of them have such branded applications. popular airlines: Aeroflot and S7 in Russia, Ukrainian UIA, Middle East Emirates and Etihad, etc. These applications for Android and iOS can be downloaded directly from airline websites, and their use is not limited to check-in for a flight and booking seats in the cabin.

Today mobile applications from airlines offer almost a full range of basic and related services: search and purchase of air tickets, insurance, online check-in for a flight, provision of information on the status of all flights in real time, delays in departure and arrival, services at the airport, charging bonus miles and how to use them. Therefore, having such an application in your smartphone (especially if you travel more than once a year) can be very useful. Applications do not take up much disk space, which is also convenient, because you probably want to bring as much as possible from your trip. big photo and video.

Aeroflot mobile application - allows you to select seats in the cabin

The only caveat is that, as in cases with the purchase of air tickets on the official websites of airlines, when using a branded application for this, the price is higher than when buying from intermediaries. Therefore, if you want to save money, it is better to use airline branded mobile applications not to buy air tickets, but to search for dates with minimum fares, and only then check these dates in the metasearch. I use Aviasales all the time and for all the time I have probably already saved on a free flight to Thailand. By the way, this metasearch also has, by installing which on a smartphone, you will always have access to air tickets at the lowest prices, which include all taxes and fees (at the top of the page, you can select a device (iPhone, iPad, Android or Windows Phone smartphones or tablets) using the link ).

Unsuccessful booking of a seat in the cabin

If for some reason you were unable to book a seat on the plane that was comfortable for you (did not have time for online registration, forgot to warn the airline employee at the counter or she did not meet you halfway), then all is not lost. After the boarding is completed, when the flight attendant announces it (“Boarding is over”), you can take a more comfortable seat on the plane, if there are any in the line of sight. You can ask the flight attendant about this, or even better, warn the latter that you would like to change your seat immediately upon boarding and politely ask her to find you such a place if possible.

Another possible option is to immediately take a comfortable free seat: it is quite possible that no one will sit on it. In the end, you will always have time to take your "legitimate" place. Thus, there are several ways to book seats in the cabin according to your preference. Use them wisely and all your further flights will be pleasant and comfortable. I wish you pleasant air travel and soft landings!

Apartments for rent from owners

Rent apartments for a day in 190 countries of the world! Use the $25 registration bonus and €10 and $50 coupons to pay. Inexpensive villas for a day.

Hotels at the best prices

Compares offers from all booking sites and shows you the best deals for your dates. Discounts on hotels up to 50%.

One of the most popular questions is which seat on the plane is better to choose. Consider the Airbus and Boeing liners. Aeroflot's fleet contains approximately six dozen Airbus A320 units. In general, the name Airbus is exclusively colloquial: the English transcription says "Airbus A320". The Boeing company began to produce aircraft much earlier than Airbus. As for reliability, it is very difficult to say which is better in this regard - Airbus or Boeing.

The aircraft of these companies have certain differences: the Airbus is taller, it has a different nose shape - round, and Boeing produces aircraft with sharp noses. There are some more differences. As for the question of which places to choose, the recommendations for Boeing and Airbus A320 liners will be different. Here are some tips to help you enjoy your time in the sky.

How to avoid the worst places:

Decide for yourself what is most important for you personally: look out the window or be able to get up from your seat at any time and go out, for example, to the toilet.
Do not be too lazy to study the scheme of the liner, for this, find out what you are flying on, whether it will be a Boeing or an Airbus 320.
Ask a direct question to the airline representative: in most cases, he has no reason to refuse you.
Do not buy seats in the tail, next to the toilet, galley and other technical rooms.
Keep in mind that you will be uncomfortable in a chair that does not recline.
Do not take a seat between or behind emergency exits.

How to choose the best seat on the Airbus 320

The number of seats on the Airbus A320 varies depending on the configuration and model. The cabin can be 150 passenger seats, and maybe 180. Thus, in this case it will not work to advise you exactly the best places in the A320, you need to know exactly which airliner you are flying on. Consider configuration 180 seats, single-class cab.

Location 1-29, A and F. If it is important for you to be at the porthole, it is better to choose one of these places. It makes no sense to take it if the flight takes place at night. You are not worried about a neighbor who will get up to use the toilet or vice versa take his place. But you will disturb the neighbors. But you will not be uncomfortable with passengers or flight attendants walking down the aisle.

Location 1-29 B and E. There is no direct access to the window, but you can still look into it. But the people scurrying along the corridor do not bother.

Location 1-29 C and D. Extreme places. Good for tall people, as you can stretch your legs into the aisle. You can get up at any time and leave if you need to wash your hands, for example. A significant drawback: you will constantly have to let two neighbors through when they want to get up or will return, there is no access to the porthole.

1 row. You will not recline the back of the chair. You won't have to wait long for drinks and lunch - they'll be given to you first. You don't have to stand in line to leave the salon. True, the entire flight will have to look at the wall in front of you. Usually passengers with children take the first row, so there is a risk of spending the entire flight next to a crying toddler. The specific arrangement of the tables, characteristic of the first rows, makes the chair narrower and the armrests immovable.

12 and 13 row. If you are tall, then it is better to choose a seat in one of these rows. The chairs are next to the emergency exit, so you can stretch your legs. True, the seats may not recline, and this is a significant minus. The same applies to places in 11 row. Here, the chairs can also not recline, and there is nowhere to stretch your legs. Keep this in mind when you buy your Airbus 320 ticket.

29 and 30 row (last). These seats are located close to the toilet and kitchen, and the seats do not recline. The flight will take place under the regular slamming of doors and the sounds of flushing water in the toilet.

Now you are armed with enough information to accurately select your seat on the Airbus 320. Now it's Boeing's turn. Which seats are better to choose if you fly with this brand?

How to choose the best seat on a Boeing plane?

In this case, you can expect 2 options: a single-class cabin, where there are 184 seats and a two-class cabin, where there are 144 seats in economy class and 16 seats in business class.

1 row. The seats are located in front of the dressing room and kitchen, here less space for legs, and folding tables are attached to the armrest, as a result of which it will be fixed. The width of the seat and the comfort of the flight will decrease significantly.

7 row. Has the same disadvantages as row 1. Here the Boeing is divided into classes, so you will have to coexist with a partition separating business and economy.

10 and 11 row. There is no porthole. For many, this is a significant disadvantage. Please note that in some liners there is such a drawback in the 8th and 9th rows.

13 and 14 row. They are located near emergency exits, so the seat backs do not recline. This measure was taken on purpose so that the chair does not block the doors. In addition, passengers claim that the 14th row is the coldest in the cabin. But there is a lot of legroom, and the seat itself can be left without disturbing the neighbors.

16th and 15th row (extreme places). Perhaps it is best to choose these chairs. It is convenient to get up here, it is comfortable to sit, because you can stretch your legs.

The last row. This is the tail of the plane, there is a toilet here, and the backs of the seats cannot be reclined. There will be not only the eternal slamming of the door, but also the meeting of the queue for the toilet.

Place for a child on an airplane: which is better to choose?

So, you are flying with a small child. Such trips are given to parents, and even children, quite difficult, so you need to spend your time as comfortably as possible in flight. Not everyone knows that for children weighing up to 11 kg, a cradle is provided on board the aircraft. It is completely free, but reservations must be made in advance. It is better to come to check-in early to make sure that your cradle is not intercepted. There are several of them in the cabin, and usually there is enough for everyone, but extra reinsurance does not hurt.

Passengers with children are given seats in the front row. It is very convenient, because there is enough space for the cradle. The design itself is a small cloth cradle on a rigid frame. The baby can be put there even if he is not going to sleep. However, be careful: children who are already sitting or, moreover, standing on their legs, can turn the cradle over and fall out of it. So watch your child. Even if you yourself are very tired, you are unlikely to be able to sleep.

Conclusion: what is the best seat on the plane to choose

So we spent comparative characteristic seats in the cabins of Airbus A320 and Boeing. It makes no sense to compare the data of the vessel, since these liners have proven themselves well in flights, they are quite comfortable and safe. But between the seats inside each aircraft there are significant difference. Certainly there are a number general recommendations, which indicate what principle should be followed when choosing places. However, we have tried to narrow down this information by going through each row of aircraft in search of the ideal seat.

We hope this information was useful to you.

This article will help anyone who is interested in the level of comfort of seats in aircraft cabins to find out what airlines offer you when choosing one or another class of seats. In modern aircraft on domestic, regional and intercontinental flights First class, business class and economy class seats are provided.

Economy class seats in the cabin.

Economy class - the cheapest seats on the plane. Usually these are three rows of seats (two rows in narrow-body aircraft) with three seats in each row with minimal legroom.

Business class seats in the cabin.

Business class - separated by curtains from the economy class. Increased legroom, in a row of 2 chairs. The ticket price includes à la carte meals and alcoholic drinks. The ticket price is about 5 times higher than the economy class, and the difference, especially on short two or three hour flights, is not noticeable. In the event that you are hungry and want to have a bite, there is always the opportunity to buy food separately and in economy class, the difference will be 10 - 20 dollars.

First-class seats in the cabin.

First class is an alternative to business class on intercontinental flights such as and. Prices are 10 times higher than business class. Fast check-in on board, high class of service and comfortable places(on some planes, the chair folds out into a sofa for relaxation). At your request, the staff will offer a warm blanket and pillow.

The most comfortable seats on the plane.

These are all first and business class seats adapted for the convenience of passengers. Comfortable distances between neighbors, ergonomic chairs, individual TV and audio systems, travel kits(pillows, socks, blankets).

The comfort of economy class seats is variable. Window and aisle seats are considered the best. Keep in mind that a place against a wall will not necessarily be with a porthole. Before making a regular booking or take a look at the seat map.

The most comfortable seats on airplanes.

The most comfortable and probably the best are the seats in the front row of the aircraft cabin, where there are no seats in front of you and, accordingly, more space for legs. Passengers in these seats may stretch out if their limbs are stiff from prolonged sitting.

Places are also relevant for people of high stature. Plus, the front seats are located close to the flight attendants, when you get into the turbulence zone in this part of the plane it does not shake much. Minus - removed from the toilet. These seats are provided to passengers with children.

According to a survey conducted by the British portal for booking airline tickets, the most desirable seats on the planes are the left-hand front rows. The majority of respondents indicated specifically seat 6A (in the first row by the window).

Seats at the emergency exits of the aircraft.

The distance between the seats at the emergency exits is wider than in the rest of the cabin, there is no porthole. Seat backs often don't recline and you can't keep hand luggage on the floor. According to the rules, tall adults are put in these places, who, in case emergency must open the door and assist the crew in the evacuation of passengers.

Seats on airplanes for passengers with children (infants).

Depending on the rules of the airline, children over a certain age must fly in a separate seat, babies fastened with special seat belts to their parents. Babies are transported free of charge. For passengers with children, the first rows are chosen, where they interfere with a smaller number of passengers and the backs of the seats in front of them do not recline. Sometimes the planes have special places for infant formula feeding.

Seats at the tail of the aircraft.

Passengers who have received seats in the tail of the aircraft will be deprived of the opportunity to admire beautiful sky due to the lack of a porthole. Often, beer and juices offered by flight attendants do not reach the tail of the plane, and there is also no choice of food. There is a toilet at the tail of the plane.

Pros - tail places are considered safer. There are few passengers and many free seats.

Sleeping places in airplanes.

Sleeping accommodations are available in first class long flights(more than 5 hours), both European and Asian companies. Lufthansa has common aircraft with beds in business class and economy class. In the plane, the beds are two-level. Luggage cannot be placed under the first level bed. The beds are separated by sides or curtains. Passengers on planes, even when lying down, have to wear seat belts. This creates an inconvenience for sleeping, but it is better to lie down and sleep than to sit on transatlantic flights.

Uncomfortable seats on the plane.

by the most uncomfortable places in airplanes are considered:

Seats in the tail (located above the wing, there is no porthole, close to the toilet)

Nearby places emergency exit(seats don't recline)

Seats in the middle of the cabin (blocked off by food carts most flight).

Dear readers, now after reading the article, you probably know everything about the classes of aircraft seats and their comfort. For those who wish to get acquainted with the location of seats in the salons, we suggest reading.

We wish you good flights and soft landings at any of the airports in the Russian Federation and the world.

Comfort during the flight and the pleasure of flying largely depends on the choice of seat. During my travels, I “tested” many types - from kids Yak-40 and Avro to large aircraft - Il-86, Boeing 777.

What are the best places to choose to fly in comfort?

I will not consider the business class, everything is more or less clear with it - the food is good, there is a lot of legroom. I will dwell in more detail on the economy class.
Most Boeing and Airbus aircraft use a 3 x 3 seating arrangement - three rows on one side (A, B, C), an aisle and three rows on the other (D, E, F). It is the aircraft of these manufacturers that is most used in the world air fleet.

Front row seats

In my opinion, seats in the front row have only pluses. If it works out, I always choose them and enjoy the flight.

No one will recline the front seat back and you are spared the contemplation of someone's hair or the absence of it during the flight.
Children are not satisfied playground on the back of a chair and you don't have to fight off an invitation to take part in their entertainment. In addition, you do not have to pick up periodically falling on your knees or in food on folding table, toys.
Seats in the front row have increased legroom.
You are always guaranteed to get hot food and its maximum selection. With the exception of those few airlines that start the distribution of aviation food from the tail of the aircraft. In "large" planes, food is distributed from several carts that move towards them from different directions.
The toilet is two steps away. In addition, as practice shows, there are almost no queues for the toilet room at the bow, and no one will hang over you waiting for a free restroom.

Some will attribute the lack of space for hand luggage under the seat in front to the disadvantages of the first row, because. they are not there, but you can always place things on the shelf or ask the flight attendants to find a place for your bag.

Seats in the first half of the cabin

To such places I refer the rows from the second to the beginning of the wing of the aircraft. When choosing places in this part, try to take the rows further from the engines. In some types aircraft a little discomfort creates noise from their work.
The advantages of choosing such places include:

Guaranteed gastronomic choice of food
Proximity to toilets and no queues

Aircraft Wing Seats

Whenever possible, I try to avoid booking overwing seats. There is only one reason, and for many travelers it is not significant.
I love to contemplate the surroundings at all stages of the flight. And the wing closes the view from the porthole.
If earthly beauties are not so important to you, some of the places in the wing section have a number of advantages - feel free to choose them when registering. What are the best places for a wing?

In some aircraft, emergency exits are located above the wing of the aircraft. In others - at the beginning and at the end of the cabin. Wherever emergency exits are located, there is more free space near them, for obvious reasons.
By taking seats at the emergency exits, you get enough free space in front of you.

Legs can be stretched as far forward as you like.
When getting up from a seat at the porthole, you do not have to squeeze between the passengers of the middle and outer rows, forcing them to get up. Conversely, no one will bother you if you are sitting in a row near the aisle.

It is considered a minus that the backs of the seats in emergency ranks do not recline.
There is one nuance. If you chose an emergency exit seat during your online check-in, the flight attendant on the plane can transfer you to other seats.

Why is this possible?

When emergency landing, the passenger at the emergency exit must be able to open the escape hatch as quickly as possible.
Therefore, seating of passengers is prohibited in such places:

With kids
Elderly
Those with limited physical abilities
With animals
In foreign airlines: not owning English language or national language carrier

Seats in the second part of the cabin

To them I refer the rows from the rear of the wing to 2-3 rows at the end of the cabin. In principle, these rows are no different from the rows in the first part of the cabin. The recommendations are the same - choose seats farther from the engine. There will be less noise. The ideal would be to choose places in the middle of this block.

As a hypothetical disadvantage, I would include a possible shortage of food and drinks. Those. until the food cart reaches the second part of the plane, instead of "Chicken or fish" it can turn out to be either a chicken or a fish.

As an example, I will give a recent review of a passenger of one of Russian airlines, who sat in a row at the end of the aircraft cabin:

... so the passengers simply didn’t get a normal hot half of the plane. The choice was: chicken, fish and sweet pancakes. And by the time the flight attendants reached us, there was nothing but disgustingly sweet pancakes. When I asked why there was nothing left, the stewardess replied that 1/3 of each dish was ordered, and that everything had already been taken apart.

Life hack “How to be guaranteed to get your food while being in the seats at the back of the salon”

Many airlines offer special food(kosher, seafood, vegetarian, etc.) absolutely free.
Order yourself a special meal and you won't be hungry on the flight. The flight attendants will know where to deliver it and they will not give it to anyone but you 🙂

Seats at the tail of the aircraft

I try to avoid the last 2-3 rows of the plane. According to statistics, these are the safest rows - in the event of a crash, the passengers of these nearby more chances survive. But, in some types of ships, the fuselage is narrowing, there is very little free space at the porthole, and there may not be a porthole itself.

Despite the proximity of the toilet, the bulk of passengers will tend to this particular toilet. Your personal space will be violated. Passengers will constantly stand in the aisle, waiting in line for the restroom, and someone will lean on the back of your chair, which is not very convenient, you see.

If the aircraft cabin is not 100% full, as a rule, the seats in the tail are always free. And then there is a plus of these places on night or long-distance routes. After reseeding, the chairs can be turned into a kind of bed by removing the armrests and placing them horizontally on the entire row.

Which seats are better: at the porthole, in the middle or at the aisle?

The infographic shows the statistics of preferences of airline passengers when choosing a seat.

Porthole seats

The advantages of such places include the opportunity to admire the scenery outside the window during the entire flight. No one will walk through you, what is happening in the aisle will not create discomfort.
You can distance yourself from your neighbor on “your” armrest by the window.
Suitable for couch potatoes and introverts.

Aisle seats

Suitable for "fidgets" who like to warm up, walking down the aisle, chatting and making friends, etc. It also has its own armrest.
Of the benefits - an "easy" way out. Of the minuses - the same fidgets will periodically hurt you during the promenade.

Seats in the center of the row

According to statistics, such places are the last to be occupied during registration. Seats in the center of the row are considered the most uncomfortable for flying.
You will not have your own armrest, any of the neighbors can put their hand there. You cannot "hide" from them.

Life hack "How to fly comfortably together in three places"

As mentioned above, the middle seat in the row is the most disliked by most passengers. If you are flying as a couple, check in for an aisle and window seat. In this scenario, it is highly likely that central location will be free.

August 1st, 2013 , 11:55 am

Today I propose to discuss one of the most important issues for an air traveler - the choice of a seat in the cabin! And if you think that there are only three options: "at the window - in the aisle - in the middle", then you are deeply mistaken ... There are so many nuances! And if on a short flight the inconvenience is very conditional, then on a long flight ignoring this issue can cost at least a spoiled mood and fatigue, because most of us fly in economy class, we'll talk about this! And on popular destinations with a similar price/schedule/appropriate loyalty program, I pay attention to the type of aircraft and the seating arrangement in it.

Where do you like to sit? Traditionally, your experience is welcome in the comments, the post will be supplemented interesting ideas and tips...

Plane diagram

The same type of aircraft can have completely different seating arrangements, even within the same airline!
Be sure to study the scheme of the aircraft. I love the site http://www.seatguru.com. Yes, not all airlines are there, but the most popular ones are still there. There is a search for both the airline and the specific flight, I recommend the second way.
There is also http://www.seatexpert.com but I don't like it.

The main parameters are the width of the passenger seat and the distance between the rows:

Armchair with special advantages/disadvantages

In the first row you can not put luggage in front during takeoff and landing
- next to the toilet
- there is no porthole even in the place "at the window"
- there is a mount for a baby cradle
- there is less legroom in this place, since under the feet is the on-board entertainment system service unit
- there is less legroom in the window seat, as there is a fuselage curve in this place
- presence or absence of outlets
- the presence or absence of an entertainment system on board
- chair does not recline
etc.

Different manufacturers - different standards

But "not all yogurts are the same"!

The fact is that Boeing's passenger seat width standard is 17 inches, while Airbus's is 18! Why? And all because the width passenger cabin Airbus has more! Even the A320, compared to the B737, has 3.95m against 3.76m. This is that important marketing feature that you can really feel :) In practical application, this is not only equivalent and congruent to the dimensions of your butt while sitting straight, but also the ability to sit a little sideways, etc.

For example, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has a 3-3-3 economy seat layout - the seat width is standard 17 inches.
Fuselage width 5.75m.

And the newest Airbus A350-XWB (by the way, eXtra Wide Body :) with a 3-3-3 layout has a seat width of 18 inches!
Fuselage width 5.96m.

At the same time, the possibility of a 3-4-3 cabin layout is being studied, in which case the width of the seat will be 16.7 inches.
The photo below is not real chairs, but a full-size mock-up to visualize the possibilities of such an arrangement.

Or economy class A380, seat width over 18 inches:

Another example is in the cabin of the Boeing 777 Transaero, the economy class layout is 2-5-2 with a seat width of 18.5 inches (9 seats in a row):

Another layout for 9 seats in a row at the same Tranaero - B777 3-3-3 in economy:

In the same Boeing 777 of Aeroflot or Emirates, the economy class layout is: 3-4-3 with a seat width of 17 inches (10 seats in a row):
A denser layout can be used for charter flights, or for economic (for the sake of profit at the expense of comfort) reasons.

10.

11.

Regular or thin?

On short routes many airlines are now starting to order cabin configurations with ultra-thin seats, which are lighter and lower takeoff weight aircraft, as well as increase the number next to 1-4 depending on the aircraft. Often they do not recline, and sitting in them is not so soft. But this is a matter of taste, and it can be tolerated in the intra-European directions.

And these are the usual seats in the Airbus A320:

When and how to choose a place?

In the process of booking an air ticket on the website of the airline or aggregator
- in the "manage my booking" section on the airline's website
- by calling the airline's call center more than 24-26 hours before departure
- during online check-in
- during check-in at the airport

Therefore, the sooner you make a choice, the more chances there will be.
I am now choosing a place for myself. long flight for the flight in two weeks, and so there were only seats in the middle of the middle row ... The ticket was bought now.

The nuances of choosing a place and personal experience:

The first rows in the cabin are often reserved for frequent flyers / "status" passengers
- the first rows are premium economy with an additional payment for a chair.
- the best seats are provided for an additional payment even in the economy, I'm not talking about the division into premium economy or economy comfort. Also, for a fee, places are offered in the economy in more private areas, for example, on upper deck Boeing 747 Transaero.
- during the online check-in / seat selection on the site in the "booking management" in advance - share your profile on social networks if you want to have an interesting interlocutor during the flight. Many airlines provide this service.
- some features of the cabins of certain airlines - the seat reclines "inside in a cocoon" like Cathay-Pacific (here I really didn't like the shift of the main platform of the seat forward with my height of 184cm)
- two adults and two infants will not be placed in one row (!) So it was with Lufthansa on an intra-European flight. This is due to the number of additional oxygen masks for children (they only have 1 in a row).

Flight time (day and night), flight direction and seat selection:

Sun: Always consider where the sun will be during the flight. I like to dine with the window shade open, but I don't like the sun to burn and blind. East - West (the sun always shines on the left), West - East (on the right). Morning flight: direction North - South the sun on the left side, and South - North - on the right.
- day-night and changes in time zones: it may well turn out that just 2 hours after departure from Frankfurt to the east at 24.00 dawn will already begin in Asia.
- flight path: do not forget that the plane flies in an "arc" and not "straight on a flat map" - this is very conditional of course, just imagine a globe and shortest distance between points. For example, the Kyiv-New York flight does not pass through Portugal and the Azores, but through Sweden-Iceland-Greeland.

Window seat and photography

I prefer to sit in front, but on rows 5-8 in short and medium haul aircraft, both the engines themselves and the engine pylons can already interfere. But in the back rows, the exhaust gas plume from the engine can interfere, making the picture soapy. But it all depends on the type of aircraft.

Tips and hints:

After the announcement in the cabin "boarding completed" - quickly change your seat to a more profitable one, for example, to a row in the middle, where there is no one and you can lie down during a long flight. It is better to transfer immediately after this announcement, and not wait for the stewardess and ask permission, your seat indicated in boarding pass, you always have time to borrow :)
- a bribe during registration will help to upgrade. Haven't tried it, but there are a lot of stories like that. In principle, the upgrade can be made cheaper at the reception than in advance on the site.
- it is also believed that sitting in the tail section of the aircraft is safer, but these are just statistics.

Well, lastly... more space and softer bed is, of course, Business class:

12.

13.

Well, or the First :) However, here the cost of the flight will be comparable to the cost of the car ...

14.