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How to get the airline seat you want
How to get the seat you want
These tips will help you obtain that preferred aisle or window perch in the sky.
By MICHELLE HIGGINS NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
Wherever you prefer to sit on a plane, or even if you don’t have a preference, it isn’t always easy to get what you want. Fliers are increasingly selecting seats as soon as they book their flights. Priceline.com, which has a seatselection feature for its listedprice tickets, says a majority of its travelers are either picking specific seats or specifying that they want an aisle or window.
In general, there are no hardand-fast rules for scoring a good seat. Because each airline has its own seating configurations and policies, a strategy that may work on one may not make a difference on another. But there are a few basic guidelines that travelers should consider when trying to get the seat of their choice:
DO YOUR RESEARCH: Most major airlines let passengers select seats when booking. Look at diagrams on the airline’s homepage to see which spots are open. Then cross-reference your findings with Web sites like Welcome to SeatGuru! Your Guide to Airplane Seats and In-flight Amenities or SeatExpert - Expert in Airline Seat Selection, which rank seat quality and offer insider information like which exit-row seats won’t recline. SeatGuru-.com recommends seats 14A and 14F on Continental’s 737-300, for instance, because they have no seat in front of them and offer extra legroom. But the site also points out that the tray table is in the armrest and that it “can get very cold by the exits during flight.”
Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia also let passengers view seating maps early in the booking process. The earlier you choose your seat, online or through an agent, the better. When a flight is nearly full, airlines sometimes deny advanced seat selections, forcing latecomers to get their assignments at the airport. That’s because airlines hold back some spots for flexibility in seating families or passengers with disabilities and only release those seats at the gate.
CHECK BACK OFTEN:
Selecting your seat doesn’t mean you’ll actually get it. Planes are sometimes switched because of maintenance or schedule changes. With passengers able to change spots online, seats are often in flux until the aircraft doors are shut, so it can pay to check back to see if any better seats have opened up.
Another reason to keep checking: Some airlines allow elite frequent fliers or full-fare coach passengers to upgrade to first or business class starting five days before departure, depending on status. When they do, they often leave behind prize coach seats that you might nab. Knowing when those upgrades take place can be a key advantage in scoring a good spot. Northwest, for example, confirms platinum elite member upgrades five days before departure; gold elite, three days before; and silver, 24 hours before.
BECOME AN ELITE FLIER: Airlines save their best seats for their best customers. An airline might let elite frequent fliers – usually those who log a certain number of flying miles a year – sit in the economy-plus section or the front part of coach, while non-elite customers must pay extra for such seats.
ANOTHER TIP: Airlines sometimes rotate jumbo jets used on long-haul flights through their domestic routes. When this happens, business-class seats are classified as part of the coach cabin and high-ranking frequent fliers can nab one by selecting a seat in the first few rows of coach.
KNOW WHEN TO ASK FOR AN UPGRADE: You can still ask for a new seat just before boarding. That’s when airlines tend to release empty seats, often those toward the front of the plane, that they had been holding for families or disabled passengers.
These tips will help you obtain that preferred aisle or window perch in the sky.
By MICHELLE HIGGINS NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE
Wherever you prefer to sit on a plane, or even if you don’t have a preference, it isn’t always easy to get what you want. Fliers are increasingly selecting seats as soon as they book their flights. Priceline.com, which has a seatselection feature for its listedprice tickets, says a majority of its travelers are either picking specific seats or specifying that they want an aisle or window.
In general, there are no hardand-fast rules for scoring a good seat. Because each airline has its own seating configurations and policies, a strategy that may work on one may not make a difference on another. But there are a few basic guidelines that travelers should consider when trying to get the seat of their choice:
DO YOUR RESEARCH: Most major airlines let passengers select seats when booking. Look at diagrams on the airline’s homepage to see which spots are open. Then cross-reference your findings with Web sites like Welcome to SeatGuru! Your Guide to Airplane Seats and In-flight Amenities or SeatExpert - Expert in Airline Seat Selection, which rank seat quality and offer insider information like which exit-row seats won’t recline. SeatGuru-.com recommends seats 14A and 14F on Continental’s 737-300, for instance, because they have no seat in front of them and offer extra legroom. But the site also points out that the tray table is in the armrest and that it “can get very cold by the exits during flight.”
Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia also let passengers view seating maps early in the booking process. The earlier you choose your seat, online or through an agent, the better. When a flight is nearly full, airlines sometimes deny advanced seat selections, forcing latecomers to get their assignments at the airport. That’s because airlines hold back some spots for flexibility in seating families or passengers with disabilities and only release those seats at the gate.
CHECK BACK OFTEN:
Selecting your seat doesn’t mean you’ll actually get it. Planes are sometimes switched because of maintenance or schedule changes. With passengers able to change spots online, seats are often in flux until the aircraft doors are shut, so it can pay to check back to see if any better seats have opened up.
Another reason to keep checking: Some airlines allow elite frequent fliers or full-fare coach passengers to upgrade to first or business class starting five days before departure, depending on status. When they do, they often leave behind prize coach seats that you might nab. Knowing when those upgrades take place can be a key advantage in scoring a good spot. Northwest, for example, confirms platinum elite member upgrades five days before departure; gold elite, three days before; and silver, 24 hours before.
BECOME AN ELITE FLIER: Airlines save their best seats for their best customers. An airline might let elite frequent fliers – usually those who log a certain number of flying miles a year – sit in the economy-plus section or the front part of coach, while non-elite customers must pay extra for such seats.
ANOTHER TIP: Airlines sometimes rotate jumbo jets used on long-haul flights through their domestic routes. When this happens, business-class seats are classified as part of the coach cabin and high-ranking frequent fliers can nab one by selecting a seat in the first few rows of coach.
KNOW WHEN TO ASK FOR AN UPGRADE: You can still ask for a new seat just before boarding. That’s when airlines tend to release empty seats, often those toward the front of the plane, that they had been holding for families or disabled passengers.
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