View from the 23rd Row
Seat Assignments
I got the idea for this week's View from the 23rd Row from the Washington Post Travel section. They had a tiny piece on something Northwest Airlines is allowing passengers to do, pay for prime seating.
What is prime seating? This is a good question, on a plane, this can depend on length of flight and aircraft configuration.
(this all applies for coach seat, there is no such thing as a bad first class seat).
In my estimation, for domestic flights the best seats are:
- Emergency row exits
- Anything close to the front (so you can get off first!)
- Window seats, if no one is in the middle
For International flights the best seats are:
-Window seats where you can prop your pillow up on the window
- Middle aisle seat if there is no one else in that row with you
The worst seats on planes are:
- bulkheads (right in front of a section, generally where they put people with babies cause the kids can lie down there, but trust me there is NO leg room).
- the last row, the one right next to the bathroom, horrible!
- aisle seat if the guy sitting next to you has to use the restroom every hour on a seven hour flight!
- anything next to a crying kid or a smelly person.
Since you can't control who will be seating next to you, I suggest trying to get your seat assignment as quickly as possible, so at least you have a good seat location. Mind you, seat assignments do change (if the plane type gets swaped, medical reasons force someone else in the seat etc.), so don't be wedded to your choice, be flexible. Trust me, the nicer you are, the more willing most customer agents are in helping you find a suitable alternative seat assignment.
I'm not sure if it is important enough to PAY to get a good seat (as Northwest is purposing) but it certainly helps make a journey more pleasant.
I'll be gone next Wednesday, traveling, but please do send any suggestions for View from the 23rd Row topics.
posted by Virginia Gal @ 8:07 AM
8 Comments:
Pay to get a window seat? Boy, the airlines must be desperate for bucks. Next thing will be pay toilets.
I will never sit in the last row again. It's a deal breaker for me. We sat there last time we flew, and this old guy in front of me put his seat back all the way as soon as we took off and kept it there until we landed. GRRRRR. The overhead bins were full, so my carry on had to go under the seat in front of me. It didn't quite fit (it's a small bag, so I don't know why, it has always fit before), so I had to sit with my feet on the bag, with the old guy's seat hitting my knees. Vancouver to Chicago. Never again.
The last row does not recline, and it has less leg room. Plus, the flight attendants spill over into the aisle area there as they prepare to serve the snacks and beverages. The smell made me feel sick (the fuel/exhaust) and it was NOISY (guess one of the engines is right there).
There were a bunch of people with bad colds on that flight (all came off of the same cruise ship), and 2 days later I was sick.
I suspect that our experience would have been better if we had not let the cruise line book the air. We let them do it because, if they arranged the air, they had to get us to the ship if the flight was delayed, etc. It was a cross-country flight with one change of plane on the way. Ironically, we were on the same plane for the next leg of the trip (Chicago-Philly). It was a different flight #, so we had to get off and go to another gate and get back on.
One of our bags (the one with the souvenirs in it) did not make it to Philly with us, but it was delivered to us the next day. The folks at the lost luggage counter were beyond nasty.
But I still love to fly. :) I do think that the experience is getting worse, however,which is sad. Wish I could afford first class.
Joe - yeah airlines are trying to make a buck anyway they can...we joke here that soon you'll have to pay to get life jackets and those emergency manuals. : )
Merci - oh last row does suck and I HATE when the guy (cause it is always a man) puts his seat all the way down, try that with a meal and it is torture. Yes, I think the flying experience is not like it use to be, which is a shame. In my opinion a lot of it has to do with customer service. Airlines can't afford all the frills but this doesn't mean we can't still provide pleasant relations, no?
I find the best way to go first (if you're not an employee and/or can't afford it), frequent flier miles.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Wonderful, when I start PaxAir, I will charge extra for seats that recline, or have have head-rests!!
Ah VG, you are going to make a wonderful CEO, and we are gonna' get rich, RICH I TELLS YA!!!
Divine - my pleasure : )
Pax - I"m laughing like a loon at my desk - pay extra to have your seat recline, hilarious! We will be rich and than finally I can tell the world what I really think!
Laurie - I read about your BFF's problem in your post, I suppose as her friend you have to grin and bear it - just imagine the other guy sitting next to her, hee hee.
So NWA has started this, interesting...
I'd always loved to fly and can't remember being uncomfortable until the international flight I took with NW in Dec 2004. It was the flight from HELL from the get-go and I had a miserable, almost lethal, experience. I'll think long and hard before flying with them again.
Brenda - oh that is horrible but isn't it true that one bad experience can mar a person, I know it has with me. I work hard for my dollars, I'm not spending them on places that don't appreciate me!
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