In part 1 of this article we mentioned the following points on getting the best seats on your flight:

*picking your airline

*choosing your aircraft type

*studying seat maps to find the optimal seats

*advance seat assignments (paid vs free vs elite status)

*using Online Check-In (OLCI)

In this part we continue our seating discussion…

Another factor to consider is whether the seat(s) next to you will be taken – this could make your journey a lot more comfortable, especially when flying in economy class. The extra space an empty seat can provide could make a big difference on a long-haul flight.

This is somewhat out of your control, especially if the flight has a full load. However if the flight is less than full it is possible to select certain seats to reduce the possibility of someone being next to you. (Again, this is purely a personal preference – some people may like to have a seat mate to talk to).

Note, top-tier elite status passengers in some programs (eg Lufthansa) are able to request an empty adjacent seat, subject to availability.

This strategy comes down to seating psychology and the fact that people don’t really like to choose the middle seat if the aisle and window are occupied.

If you are travelling in a couple you can always pull the old trick by selecting a window and aisle seat on a 3 seat window row. If someone does turn up with the middle seat they are usually more than happy to swap so that you can sit together.

If travelling alone, by choosing a 3 seat row with 1 window or aisle seat already occupied, you will leave the middle seat which is less likely to be taken if the flight is not full.

So in the following seat configuration example, most single passengers would tend to choose a window or aisle seat in the empty row 19. However, choosing seat 20D will mean middle seat 20E is less likely to be taken. If you chose 19F then the chance is there that a couple will take 19D and 19E. (Although if you wanted a window seat then you would have to take 19F!)

If as a couple you want to be guaranteed aisle access on a widebody aircraft and don’t want to have anyone else climbing over you then choose 2 seats together in the middle row. Or choose the 2 seater rows as discussed in part 1.

Don’t forget that with the exit/bulkhead rows being popular it is less likely that you will have an empty seat next to you – but at least you will have extra legroom.

And on flights with light loads it can be worthwhile grabbing an empty row in economy class which can be turned into a “bed”.

Final thoughts:

At the end of the day as long as the airline gets you to your destination safely that is all that really matters. If you can find and secure a seat in your class that will give you a little more comfort then of course that is a good thing.

But if you want to guarantee extra comforts on your journey then book a first class or business class ticket on a top airline.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 10:52 pm and is filed under Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.