Traveling by plane always tires a person, and often it can even be harmful to his health. However, there is always the opportunity to take care of additional benefits for yourself. One of these may be right choice where to sit in the cabin. To do this, it is important to know the location of the seats on the plane.
It is important to understand that there is no seat that would suit every passenger. Everyone focuses on their own needs. Some people like to sit by the window, some like to sit in the aisle, while others want the opportunity to stretch their long legs forward.
Seat classes
The aircraft cabin is most often divided into three zones for passengers:
Inexpensive economy class seats with a minimum of services.
Comfortable business class seats with additional services, making the flight as comfortable as possible.
Luxury first class seats where you can even fly lying down, although not all airlines have them.
The majority of people prefer economy class so as not to spend extra money.
Choosing a seat on the plane
As mentioned above, the best seat for each passenger is selected individually. You can determine this for yourself by carefully reading this article. To better understand what we are talking about, below is a diagram of the aircraft interior.
Unsuccessful options
Let's start with the definition uncomfortable places during the flight. Seats in the middle of a row, with people sitting to your right and left, are uncomfortable for most. Another bad seat is the seat at the back of the plane; the last row may not have a window. There are also constant crowds of passengers waiting in line to use the toilet. A significant disadvantage for you may be the fact that at the time of distribution of food and drinks - the variety of products runs out in the rows at the back, you will not be able to choose meat, chicken or fish, you will simply be given the type of product that is left.
The bad places include the places directly above the wing, since from there you won’t see anything. Not everyone will be comfortable with the seats in the rows located in front of the emergency exit and in the last row, since they do not have the ability to recline the seat.
The most comfortable seats on an airliner
Let's go back to the tail of the plane. An important advantage is that if the aircraft is not fully loaded, you will not have neighbors, and you will fly alone in two or three seats (this will even allow you to lie down). Comfortable places include the porthole seats - you can sleep quite comfortably on them without fear of being woken up by a neighbor squeezing through your knees. You can admire the beautiful views from the window and read in excellent lighting. The advantages of aisle seats include the fact that you can stretch your legs into the aisle and get up to go to the toilet without any problems, and also be among the first at the exit. By the way, places near emergency and regular exits have increased legroom.
The best seats in terms of comfort and convenience are considered to be those in the first row. You can calmly stretch your legs, since there will only be a wall in front of you. This is very important for tall people (from 180 centimeters). There is also less shaking in the front at those moments when the plane hits. An attractive bonus will be the right to be the first to receive food and drinks. A significant drawback for some will be the fact that there will probably be passengers with infants and children under 7 years old nearby.
Location of seats on the plane
Now that you have decided what to look for when choosing a seat for yourself, you need to be sure to find out the seat letter and row number that will suit you.
Airliners come in different sizes, which means the number of seats per row may vary. Either way, there will be aisle and window seats on every plane. You can obtain information about the layout of the aircraft you are interested in at the representative office of the carrier's airline. Quite often, schemes are published on websites on the Internet. It is important to consider that vessels of the same model do not always have the same layout. This means that the location of seats on a Transaero and Aeroflot plane will not always be the same for the same type of aircraft.
Choosing a seat depending on the size of the vehicle
When you have an airplane that you are going to fly, you can accurately understand whether the seat is located at the partition or next to the window, whether the wings will block the view.
Let's give a few examples. Let's consider the arrangement of seats on a Boeing 737 and similar aircraft, where seats in economy class are installed in 2 rows of 3 seats each. With this arrangement, the seats in the first row will be comfortable, as well as in the rows near the emergency exits - there is always enough space to stretch your legs.
The cabin is designed for long-haul flights and has several economy class cabins with 3 rows of seats arranged in a 3-4-3 configuration. And on this ship, good seats will still be in the front row and at the main or emergency exits, but it is worth noting that there are toilets located both in the front and in the rear.
How to take a chair you like
Airlines allocate seats on planes in different ways. First of all, try to find out if you can select a seat at the time of booking. This service is often provided by the airline for an additional fee. Second way to get good place- this is to ask during the time to show the location of the seats on the plane and choose the appropriate one if it is free.
Be sure to consider the direction of flight, as the bright rays of the sun can shine directly in your face. Decide which direction you are heading. When flying from east to west, the sun's rays will always fall on the left side, and from west to east - on the right side. When moving from north to south in the morning, the sun's rays will fall on the left, and in the evening - on the right. When flying from south to north in the morning - on the right, in the evening - on the left. And don't forget that in the Southern Hemisphere the opposite is true.
It is important to arrive at registration as early as possible after it opens. The best places go to those who arrive first.
The most popular and fullest flights are morning and evening. If you do not have any kind of time connection, then it is better to fly during the daytime, since it is during these hours that the flow of passengers is the smallest, and the seats nearby will be empty.
In recent years, airlines have been trying to simplify their system, introducing various new features in order to speed up the check-in process for flights several times. These include terminals for self-check-in at airports and the ability to check in for a flight online on the airline’s website. You should not lose sight of these technologies, since the layouts of airliner cabins, the location of seats on the plane, and already occupied seats are clearly visible on the computer screen. Using such services will save you from grueling queues and early arrival at the airport.
Thus, if you fly often, you will very soon figure out which places are better than others. Unfortunately, not all airlines have the ability to select seats in advance, so be prepared to fly in any available seat.
When entering an airplane, any passenger will look not only to the right, but also to the left. Sometimes the door to the pilot's cabin is open and we see how complicated everything is inside. We'll explain what the main levers, toggle switches and panels mean.
1. Attitude of the aircraft
The screen displays pitch - the movement of the aircraft in the longitudinal channel. Simply put, pitch is the rise of the nose or tail of an aircraft. Also here you can see the roll of the aircraft in the transverse channel, that is, the rise of the right or left wing
2.Navigation display
Reminiscent of a traditional car navigator. Just like in a car, it displays information about your destination, your current location, how far the plane has already flown and how far you have to go.
3. Duplicate aircraft attitude and navigation device
4. Clock
5. On-board computer
Before a flight, pilots manually enter data into it: where we are flying from and where, weight, balance, take-off speeds, wind along the route. The computer calculates the fuel we need for the flight, the remaining fuel, the flight time...
6. Handle for releasing and retracting the landing gear
7. Sidestick
Aircraft control stick, replaces the steering wheel
8. Autopilot off button
9. Brake pedals
An airplane uses two pedals to brake. They work separately. The intensity of braking depends on how hard you press the pedal: the harder you press, the faster it brakes
10. Fire protection system
In the event of a fire, the indicators light up. We see in which part of the ship the fire is located and turn on the automated fire extinguishing mode. Manual fire extinguishers are located in the cockpit and in the cabin
11. Fuel pump activation buttons
12. Window opening handle
13. Autopilot
The autopilot requires data that we entered into the on-board computer. We turn on the autopilot after takeoff, when the plane has reached the required altitude. Autopilot landing is used in special cases, such as in fog
14. Engine control lever
This is the same as the gas pedal in a car. With its help we control engine thrust
15. Spoiler control switch
Spoilers are folding flaps on the upper plane of the wing. They are an air brake. It is often necessary to reduce speed in the air, especially when landing. In this case, we release spoilers. They create additional drag and the plane's speed drops.
16. Flap control knob
Flaps are deflectable surfaces located on the trailing edge of the wing. We release them during takeoff to increase the wing area and, accordingly, the lift of the aircraft. Having reached the required height, we retract the flaps
17. Battery switch buttons
18. Buttons for controlling air temperature in the cabin and cabin of the aircraft
19. Tablet computer
It contains collections of airport diagrams and maps different countries. You can also display images from video cameras installed in the aircraft cabin.
20. Aircraft control panel
Here are the buttons for turning on the autothrottle, switches for selecting navigation aids, knobs for the course and speed selector. Acting on them, we give commands to the autopilot to control the aircraft
Photo: Maxim Avdeev, Vasily Kuznetsov
Interesting picture from TIME magazine (July 6-13). And useful. If you sit in the brightest seats possible, you will have a better chance of returning home after your next flight.
Data sources, if anyone is interested, are indicated in small print in the lower left corner. Naturally, only disasters in which there were dead and surviving passengers and crew members were taken for analysis, i.e. Usually during landing or takeoff, when the speed is relatively low, the impact on the planet is not vertical, and it is physically possible to remain alive.
In principle, as I already said, the conclusion is simple: the places are marked lighter colors - more secure, darker - less.
A fire that occurs as a result of ignition of leaked fuel usually claims its first victims within 2 - 3 minutes. Safety standards require that passengers be evacuated within 90 seconds (1.5 minutes), using only half of the emergency exits. The maximum number of human population on board depends on their number and location. For example, in the fuselage of an A330-300, you can cram significantly more seats than the maximum allowed for evacuation reasons of 375. Each at the moment a non-functional exit (problems with the door, used inflatable ladder, etc.) reduces the permissible number of people on board by several dozen. In addition to other certifications, the new type of aircraft also undergoes evacuation certification. Here, for example, is how it happened with the A380:
Everything was almost perfect: things scattered on the floor, half the exits didn’t work (and no one knew which ones), twilight, an unexpected signal to start the evacuation. 873 people in 78 seconds. Only one injured. Great result! But all the same, this is largely from the evil one. Elderly people, the sick, the disabled, children, families, simply not very physically capable, alarmists, many who value only their lives and are literally rushing to the exit, wanting to grab a suitcase, a broken fuselage, smoke, an unprofessional crew, moreover, subject to the same human weaknesses - all this can make your particular evacuation much more problematic.
This is what the battlefield for life looks like in real life:
Therefore, when choosing a place, think not only about quickly getting in line for border control upon arrival. The title picture just shows that those who care more about security are the last in line at the border.
And here is a concrete illustration from life. How to draw from it:
Another consideration in this regard: try to sit no further than the fifth row from the emergency exit. Ideally, right at the exit. By the way, it’s more spacious there. Only sometimes the backrests don’t recline.
For some reason, according to this study, the most dangerous places Although we found ourselves in the middle of the salon, we were near the aisle. Statistics. I don't know what's wrong. Maybe there is simply more damage to the fuselage there. Apparently, for the same reason, the safest ones, although in the back, are also not near the aisle.
A couple of tips from myself:
No need for heels on the plane! Only comfortable shoes. Have it on your feet before takeoff and landing. Then take it off in flight.
Keep your documents and most valuable things with you, not in a large bag on the luggage rack. And don’t even think about taking it with you when evacuating!
In general, remember: the more comfortable you are dressed and shod, the greater your chances of getting to the emergency exit through scattered things, fallen backs of chairs, structural elements and lying bodies in a crowd gripped by panic and animal instincts.
One last thing: buckle up! Not for the stewardess, for myself. Three Chinese women who flew out of the B777 when it hit the shore in San Francisco were not wearing seat belts... The rest, almost three hundred people, survived.
In short, have this picture in front of you when choosing your seats, follow the recommendations, learn the appropriate prayer and confidently go on your flight.
And, never mind:). Your chances of getting into the news about this are still negligible. You will reduce them even more if you follow these tips. And, in any case, these are just some of the things you consider when choosing seats on a plane. I would like to see that crazy strange person who will refuse a free upgrade to business and prefer the very last row of economy :)
Despite all the romanticism of the professions, the work of pilots and flight attendants flying from one country to another is not always beautiful views heaven, but also hard work. Therefore, even those who work high above the clouds need comfortable conditions for rest. TravelAsk has decided to tell you what life is like for the crew on board an airplane.
The most difficult jobs for pilots and flight attendants are non-stop flights, and this is over 15,000 kilometers of distance and more than 18 hours in the air. Few aircraft are capable of covering such huge distances, so the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the Boeing 777 and Airbus A340 most transoceanic directions.
However, such long flights require considerable endurance not only from the equipment, but also from the crew itself. Their work involves great responsibility and important decisions; they must always be calm and cheerful. A separate menu is provided for the pilots, so that in the event of food poisoning in one, the other can take control. And of course, the main factor allowing staff to withstand the stress of long flights will be healthy sleep.
There is always one pilot in the aircraft cabin, and a flight attendant in the cabin. Moreover, during the entire flight, both pilots and flight attendants are entitled to up to 5 hours of rest. To make your vacation as effective as possible, airlines try to create all the necessary conditions. Although the crew will not be able to stand up to their full height, they can stretch out on a soft bed and sleep sweetly. Depending on the aircraft, the lounge is located below, above or in the passenger compartment. Despite the fact that the main goal of all airlines is to create the largest number of seats for passengers, the crew also does not have to live in cramped conditions.
For example, on board the Boeing 787, the rest room for flight attendants is located above the passenger cabin and is equipped with 5 beds. It's called CRC (Crew Rest Compartments).
When creating the project, it all seemed cozier and more colorful.
However, such an arrangement of a place to rest pleases passengers with the spectacular appearance of flight attendants after rest.
Similar apartments have been created here for pilots.
But in the Airbus A350, rest rooms were located under the passenger compartment, but in the latest models they were moved to the upper part to increase luggage compartment space.
For pilots, the room provides not only sleeping places, but also seating.
Huge size Airbus aircraft The A380, designed for 853 passengers, requires more sleeping places. The designers decided to use the height of the liner as rationally as possible, so they placed 12 beds, 3 one above the other. It may not be as comfortable as on a Boeing 787, but it gives you the opportunity to stand upright.
The “apartments” for pilots on the Airbus A380 are much more comfortable - these are single rooms.
The sleeping area of the Boeing 777-200LR is designed for 8 employees. The plane flies on such routes as Johannesburg, distance - 13,582 kilometers, Los Angeles, distance - 13,420 kilometers.
The video will tell you more about this airliner.
However, unfortunately, the rest rooms for the crew of transoceanic aircraft are not always so comfortable; there are also the following:
Friday, January 22, 2016 19:24 + to quote book
Experienced travelers know how important it is to choose a good seat on a long-distance flight and how much inconvenience a “bad” row can cause.
Agree, for those who fly frequently, this factor is fundamental, because sitting, for example, in the middle row, sandwiched on both sides by “moderately well-fed” fellow travelers, is not very pleasant.
If you know the airline and the exact model of the aircraft you are going to fly on, look up information on the Internet with seat layouts on the planes of the main carriers. For example, on the website aircraft.org
In the picture below, the following places are indicated in different colors:
Dark green- places with best view from the window
Green- places with largest place for feet
Light green- the quietest places in the cabin
Yellow- are served first when serving food and drinks
Blue- the coldest places
Pink- are served last when serving food and drinks
Red- access to the toilet is most difficult
Burgundy- places with the worst view from the window
Burgundy brown- limited seat reclining capabilities
Brown- places with the least legroom
Dark brown- the noisiest places
Airplane seat classes
So, if you start like this, roughly dividing all the seats on the plane, then initially they can be divided into economy class, business class and first class seats.
Economy class seats- this is the cheapest class of seats on the plane, which is mainly used by travelers (although, why not, the President of Lithuania also flies in economy class and nothing :o). This is the base rate.
Business class seats- these are places fenced off by curtains from economy class. There is a little more legroom, plus there are fewer seats (2 chairs per row). In addition, the ticket price includes a la carte meals and free alcoholic drinks.
For that matter, meals can be purchased separately in economy class, the difference will be only 10 - 20 bucks.
First class seats— an alternative to business class on intercontinental flights. Prices are 10 times higher than business class. For this, you will quickly check in on board, get a high class of service and luxurious seats (for example, on some planes the seat converts into a sofa, that is, full-fledged lying seats!
Therefore, most likely, for a budget tourist, the choice is economy class.
Place near the porthole
Pros:
If you plan to sleep, or, say, read, for which you will need good lighting, then a chair by the window is the best option.
Firstly, no one will “squeeze” through your seat to theirs and will not disturb you, and secondly, the wonderful view of the clouds and their bizarre shapes will not let you get bored in case of a short flight.
True, it depends on the time of flight; at night, alas, you will not be able to see much.
Cons:
Aisle seat
Pros:
Cons:
But all the same, you will have to let one neighbor through if he wants to go out. And ask another neighbor to stand up if you want to go out.
Well, of course, you won’t be lucky if your neighbors turn out to be fat people.
Places located after emergency exits
Pros:
They are characterized by the fact that the distance to the next row is slightly increased, which allows you to pass the flight time with greater comfort - stretch your legs, stand up if necessary, without disturbing your neighbors. Some types of aircraft do not have a row of seats in front of the emergency exit/hatch seats at all.
Cons:
Often, airlines, for safety reasons, practice leaving these seats for people who meet the requirements of “a sound body, a sound mind” - it is assumed that in the event of an emergency evacuation such a person will not be confused, will be able to open the emergency hatch and help the staff get people out, but, Of course, not all airlines undertake such “planning”.
Another disadvantage is that the approach to the hatches cannot be blocked by hand luggage.
Places located in front of emergency hatches
Here, usually, there are only disadvantages - most often the backs of the seats in these rows are fixed or have a very small angle of deviation. This is done so as not to block the approaches to the escape hatches. Seats located in the front of the cabin
In addition, the first row is an excellent opportunity to be one of the first to go down the ramp.
Cons:But there are also disadvantages here - often mounts for baby bassinets are installed in the bow, and there may be passengers with small children. This does not contribute to comfort if you are going to work or relax.
Anyone who has flown near a child who does not tolerate the flight well and cries for 7 or 12 hours knows.
Places in the tail
The only significant advantage of this place is its relative safety. According to statistics from the US National Transportation Safety Board for more than 30 years, the number of surviving passengers in plane crashes, depending on where their seats were located in the aircraft cabin, is as follows:
The highest percentage of surviving passengers was in the rear section of the cabin (behind the edge of the aircraft's wing) with 69%, the section above the wing with 56% survivors, as well as in the economy class section in front of the wing. In the forward section of the cabin, where business and first class are typically seated, the average survival rate was 49%.
The United States also conducted a test crash of an old plane. The experiment cost one and a half million dollars. The plane crashed into the ground at a speed of 225 km/h. Which corresponds not to a full-fledged crash, in which, as a rule, no one has a chance to survive, but to a hard landing.
During the experiment, it was found that when an airplane collides with a surface, the nose takes the main impact. So business class passengers, whose seats are located immediately behind the cockpit, and, accordingly, pilots, are at greater risk. But the passengers economy class those sitting in the last rows may well survive an emergency landing.
The largest number of accidents often occurs during takeoff/landing, as a result of mistakes by pilots or airport staff, due to poor coverage and condition of the runway or other factors. In this case, you can be saved. Think about where the plane will hit first when landing or taking off? It seems to me that most likely the nose, accordingly, the main impact will be on the front seats, which will slightly dampen the force of the impact, then the impact will be on the middle of the cabin and on the wings, from which fuel will leak out and ignite. The shock wave will reach the rear seats with the least power, which will allow passengers to survive.
From the point of view of the safe side - left or right, statistics give equal chances; the probability of the plane lateral roll in one direction or another during landing is the same.
This is what they mostly write on the Internet. Honestly, it’s difficult for me to judge, but in my opinion, if you are primarily concerned about your safety, then it is better to choose a seat a couple of rows from the emergency exit. This, in most cases, is still safer, although less convenient.
For the same reason, people whose seats are located closer to the aisle are in a more advantageous situation during emergency situations
This is about safety, but when it comes to comfort...
It is believed that The most comfortable seat on the plane is the second to last row, on the right side of the aisle. The fact is that it is at the end of the cabin that there is the greatest likelihood of free/empty seats, and therefore it is quite possible that you will get a lot of free space by sitting on three seats at once: you can get free seats to your right and left, on which you can arrange not only your bags, but generally lie down and sleep
Why do you need to take seats on the right? Because the sale of air tickets is carried out strictly in rows (except for those cases when the passenger himself asks for a certain seat), first there are rows A, B, C, which are located on the left side, so the likelihood of a large number of people there is higher.
An important advantage is safety, because it is no secret to anyone that there is simply no more secure place than the tail of the aircraft. There may also be a kitchen located close to these places (not always), and all your orders will be delivered as quickly as possible.
Why is it necessary to choose an aisle seat? In order for fewer people to show a desire to sit next to you. If you sit near the window, then nothing will prevent other passengers from sitting near you, and then all the comfort will come to naught.
But when you sit down by the aisle and place your bags on the next seat, such a sight will subconsciously be perceived by other passengers as a barrier, so the number of people wanting to sit next door will be minimal.
More the best option Immediately after landing, you will get a pillow and a blanket and lie down to sleep on two or three chairs at once, in which case it is unlikely that anyone will disturb you so that you move away and let him sit in the same row.
First row/row in front of which there are no seats
Of the minuses, we note that most likely there will be a partition or a kitchen/toilet in front of you. Some passengers find it not very convenient to look at the “wall” for the entire flight. Also, there may be mounts for baby cradles in the wall. What this entails - read above.
Last row/row behind which there are no seats
Let's sum it up
Here, in brief, is a list of good/bad places that a traveler can expect. But it is worth noting that the internal layout of aircraft differs significantly from each other, and this factor must also be taken into account.
In addition to the fact that there are 2, 3, 4 seats in a row, it is necessary to take into account the distance between the seats, the number of classes in the cabin, and other features. After all, the same company uses different types of aircraft for flights.
Adviсe. How to get the best seats
1. The model of the airliner, the smallest details of the comfort of the cabins (the presence of a TV, electrical sockets, spacing between rows, location of toilets) can be easily found on the airline’s website.
If you have no idea about the location of the seats, ask to see a diagram of the aircraft's interior - all free seats will be highlighted in the appropriate color.
3. B modern airport You can use the self-registration kiosks and choose your seat. Also, this can almost always be done when registering online on the website of the airline of your choice - this will significantly save time.
The traditional check-in method is best done two hours before departure. If places are registered in this way, the first registered ones have wide choice from available places.
4. If possible, you should use less crowded flights - in this case, the comfort of the flight will increase significantly, because (if you wish) you will even have the opportunity to sleep on three free seats; the main thing is not to forget to ask the flight attendant to bring a pillow and a blanket.
The busiest days are Sunday and Friday, with morning and evening flights. If you have time, choose Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday, midday or afternoon flights.
5. In order not to get into trouble, you should take into account the spelling of the letters indicating the seat number - they can be either Russian (1A, 1B, 1B, 1G,1D, 1E) or Latin (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E , 1F), and in certain situations, these are, as they say, two big differences that can overshadow the impression of the flight.
After all, for example, seat 1 “B” will have a different location, meaning both a chair near the aisle and in the middle of the row. This must be taken into account so as not to end up with seat 1B (which you thought was near the aisle) in a seat in the middle (since it turned out that this is not the Russian “B”, but the Latin “B”).
Therefore, it is better to choose seats with unambiguous letters: 1A is always a seat by the window, 1C will be an aisle seat in any cabin layout.
Advice. If you fly often, then you know the main stress of everyone (who does not fly in business class;) is sitting in the middle seat in a row of three seats. Knowing and understanding this phobia, you can turn it to your advantage and less often have a neighbor nearby when flying.
6. Be sure to take into account the direction of flight - with the right choice of place, the sun will not blind your eyes: East - West (the sun always shines on the left), West - East (on the right).
If there is a need to take a morning flight, the direction North - South will be pleased with the sun on the left side, and South - North - on the right.
How to avoid accidentally taking the worst seats
- Study the diagram of the airliner you will be flying on, if possible.
- Check with your airline representative if possible.
- Before the flight, decide what is more important for you - looking out the window or the ability to freely get up from your seat, for example, to the toilet
- While studying the interior layout, choose the optimal seats, guided by the same rules that we gave in this article
- Do not take seats at the very rear, close to the toilets, galley and other technical areas.
- Do not take seats in which the seats do not recline or are limited in this
- Do not take seats between emergency exits or behind which they are located.
If you still find yourself in an uncomfortable chair
Moreover, it is better not to be shy and change seats yourself, rather than wait for the services of a flight attendant.
There is little time, because after the plane reaches the required speed, it rises from passenger seat will be strictly prohibited. Well, after gaining altitude, it is likely that everything is most comfortable places on the plane will be occupied by faster and smarter passengers. Yes, and don't worry about it. You will always have time to sit in your rightful (according to your ticket) seat.
But it’s still better to choose the maximum comfortable place immediately upon purchasing a ticket and checking in for the flight.
All the tips described above are suitable for standard passenger, narrow-body aircraft, such as Airbus A-319 and 320, Boeing-737, SSJ-100, Yak-40, etc., and for wide-body airliners. In addition, there are many more options to occupy a comfortable passenger seat.
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Thank you very much useful information Saturday, January 23, 2016 06:39 ()
Original message by IrzeisExperienced travelers know how important it is to choose a good seat on a long-distance flight and how much inconvenience a “bad” row can cause.
Today we will talk about better conditions for air travel.
Agree, for those who fly frequently, this factor is fundamental, because sitting, for example, in the middle row, sandwiched on both sides by “moderately well-fed” fellow travelers, is not very pleasant.
Or “get” to the back row, where there may be no porthole and the seats do not recline, and the proximity to the toilet (constant movement and other disadvantages) is not conducive to comfort.
So, in order to have a great time “at altitude”, you need to know where the best places on the plane.
If you know the airline and the exact model of the aircraft you are going to fly on, look up information on the Internet with seat layouts on the planes of the main carriers. For example, on the website aircraft.org
In the picture below, the following places are indicated in different colors:
Dark green – places with the best view from the window
Green – seats with the most legroom
Light green – the quietest places in the cabin
Yellow – first served when serving food and drinks
Blue – coldest places
Pink – last to be served when serving food and drinks
Red – access to the toilet is most difficult
Burgundy - places with the worst view from the window
Burgundy Brown - Limited seat recline capabilities
Brown – seats with the least legroom
Dark brown – the noisiest placesIf your plane has not been found or you do not have such information, this article provides general advice for you. In any case, it won’t hurt to read, that’s for sure :o).
Airplane seat classes
So, if you start like this, roughly dividing all the seats on the plane, then initially they can be divided into economy class, business class and first class seats.
Economy class seats are the cheapest class of seats on an airplane, which is mainly used by travelers (although, why not, the President of Lithuania also flies in economy class and nothing :o). This is the base rate.
As a rule, these are three rows of seats (two rows for narrow-body aircraft) with three seats in each row.
Legroom is minimal. The comfort is about the same as in a minibus: nothing superfluous, you are simply taken from point A to point B.Business class seats are seats separated by curtains from economy class. There is a little more legroom, plus there are fewer seats (2 chairs per row). In addition, the ticket price includes a la carte meals and free alcoholic drinks.
However, at the same time, prices are about 5 times higher than economy class, and you won’t notice much of a difference, especially on flights of a couple of hours.
For that matter, meals can be purchased separately in economy class, the difference will be only 10 - 20 bucks.First class seats are an alternative to business class on intercontinental flights. Prices are 10 times higher than business class. For this, you will quickly check in on board, get a high class of service and luxurious seats (for example, on some planes the seat converts into a sofa, that is, full-fledged lying seats!
Is it worth it? Here everyone thinks for themselves, but this is clearly not the topic for our review, we are discussing here how to travel as cheaply and comfortably as possible :)
Therefore, most likely, for a budget tourist, the choice is economy class.Place near the porthole
Pros:
If you plan to sleep, or, say, read, for which you will need good lighting, then a chair by the window is the best option.Firstly, no one will “squeeze” through your seat to theirs and will not disturb you, and secondly, the wonderful view of the clouds and their bizarre shapes will not let you get bored in case of a short flight.
True, it depends on the time of flight; at night, alas, you will not be able to see much.
Cons:
It is more difficult to get up from such a place, for example, to go to the toilet. You'll have to disturb your neighbors.Aisle seat
Pros:
It is extremely convenient because you can stretch your legs into the aisle, get up, go to the toilet without hindrance, and also get to the exit a little earlier after landing the plane.Cons:
People and flight attendants with carts will pass near you. They can hurt sometimes. Also, you will have to get up every time your neighbors want to get up from their chairs. These are more turbulent places.Places “in the middle” - neutral places
These are "neutral" places. They combine the pros and cons of window seats and aisle seats. It’s quieter here than in the aisle and easier to get up than from the chair by the window.
But all the same, you will have to let one neighbor through if he wants to go out. And ask another neighbor to stand up if you want to go out.
Well, of course, you won’t be lucky if your neighbors turn out to be fat people.
Places located after emergency exits
Pros:
They are characterized by the fact that the distance to the next row is slightly increased, which allows you to pass the flight time with greater comfort - stretch your legs, stand up if necessary, without disturbing your neighbors. Some types of aircraft do not have a row of seats in front of the emergency exit/hatch seats at all.Cons:
Often, airlines, for safety reasons, practice leaving these seats for people who meet the requirements of “a sound body, a sound mind” - it is assumed that in the event of an emergency evacuation such a person will not be confused, will be able to open the emergency hatch and help the staff get people out, but, Of course, not all airlines undertake such “planning”.
In this regard, passengers with children, animals and elderly people are not allowed here.Another disadvantage is that the approach to the hatches cannot be blocked by hand luggage.
Places located in front of emergency hatches
Here, usually, there are only disadvantages - most often the backs of the seats in these rows are fixed or have a very small angle of deviation. This is done so as not to block the approaches to the escape hatches.
The row that is located in the section between two emergency exits also has a plus. In this case, there will be additional space in front of you.
Seats located in the front of the cabin
Pros:
Most often, food service begins from the “nose”, so the front rows offer convenience and a wide choice of drinks and food offered. As a rule, if the seat is located at the rear of the plane, then the passenger is limited in the choice of assortment (everything is sorted at the very beginning).In addition, the first row is an excellent opportunity to be one of the first to go down the ramp.
Cons:
But there are also disadvantages here - often mounts for baby bassinets are installed in the bow, and there may be passengers with small children. This does not contribute to comfort if you are going to work or relax.Anyone who has flown near a child who does not tolerate the flight well and cries for 7 or 12 hours knows.
Places in the tail
The only significant advantage of this place is its relative safety. According to statistics from the US National Transportation Safety Board for more than 30 years, the number of surviving passengers in plane crashes, depending on where their seats were located in the aircraft cabin, is as follows:
The highest percentage of surviving passengers was in the rear section of the cabin (behind the edge of the aircraft's wing) - 69%, the section above the wing - 56% survivors, as well as in the economy class section in front of the wing. In the forward section of the cabin, where business and first class are typically seated, the average survival rate was 49%.
The United States also conducted a test crash of an old plane. The experiment cost one and a half million dollars. The plane crashed into the ground at a speed of 225 km/h. Which corresponds not to a full-fledged crash, in which, as a rule, no one has a chance to survive, but to a hard landing.
During the experiment, it was found that when an airplane collides with a surface, the nose takes the main impact. So business class passengers, whose seats are located immediately behind the cockpit, and, accordingly, pilots, are at greater risk. But economy class passengers sitting in the last rows may well survive an emergency landing.
This was the reason for placing the “black box” in the tail of the plane, and this also led to the opinion that this is the safest place.The largest number of accidents often occurs during takeoff/landing, as a result of mistakes by pilots or airport staff, due to poor coverage and condition of the runway or other factors. In this case, you can be saved. Think about where the plane will hit first when landing or taking off? It seems to me that most likely the nose, accordingly, the main impact will be on the front seats, which will slightly dampen the force of the impact, then the impact will be on the middle of the cabin and on the wings, from which fuel will leak out and ignite. The shock wave will reach the rear seats with the least power, which will allow passengers to survive.
Thus, the rear seats are the safest in the cabin, since the plane takes the main impact on the nose, but again this all depends on the situation.
Central seats on an airplane are typically located above or close to the wing, which contains aviation fuel, which can ignite in the event of a plane crash. Therefore, the most dangerous places are the seats in the middle of the aircraft cabin. If we compare the front and middle seats in terms of safety, then the number of deaths in both the front and middle seats is approximately equal.From the point of view of the safe side - left or right, statistics give equal chances; the probability of the plane lateral roll in one direction or another during landing is the same.
This is what they mostly write on the Internet. Honestly, it’s difficult for me to judge, but in my opinion, if you are primarily concerned about your safety, then it is better to choose a seat a couple of rows from the emergency exit. This, in most cases, is still safer, although less convenient.
Imagine a situation where there was a plane crash, the plane was partially damaged, everyone was alive, but a fire started in the plane and the cabin was filled with black toxic smoke, from inhaling which you could die. What will happen? That's right, most likely panic, but now think about who will leave the plane first? And the first to leave will be the one who sits in the seats closest to the emergency exits, which means they will have a greater chance of escape.For the same reason, people whose seats are located closer to the aisle are in a more advantageous situation during emergency situations
You can find out what seat will be near the emergency exit on a particular plane from the seat layout diagrams.This is about safety, but when it comes to comfort...
It is believed that the most comfortable seat on an airplane is the second to last row, on the right side of the aisle. The fact is that it is at the end of the cabin that there is the greatest likelihood of free/empty seats, and therefore it is quite possible that you will get a lot of free space by sitting on three seats at once: you can get free seats to your right and left, on which you can arrange not only your bags, but generally lie down and sleep
Why do you need to take seats on the right? Because air tickets are sold strictly by row (except in cases where the passenger himself requests a specific seat), rows A, B, C come first, which are located on the left side, so the likelihood of a large number of people there is higher.
After them come the right rows, D, E, F, which are usually empty when the plane is not fully loaded (this is important!!!). Well, it is clear that if the download is complete, then all the above recommendations will be meaningless.
An important advantage is safety, because it is no secret to anyone that there is simply no more secure place than the tail of the aircraft. There may also be a kitchen located close to these places (not always), and all your orders will be delivered as quickly as possible.
Why is it necessary to choose an aisle seat? In order for fewer people to show a desire to sit next to you. If you sit near the window, then nothing will prevent other passengers from sitting near you, and then all the comfort will come to naught.
But when you sit down by the aisle and place your bags on the next seat, such a sight will subconsciously be perceived by other passengers as a barrier, so the number of people wanting to sit next door will be minimal.
An even better option would be to get a pillow and a blanket immediately after landing, and lie down to sleep on two or three chairs at once, in which case it is unlikely that anyone will disturb you so that you move away and let him sit in the same row.
First row/row in front of which there are no seats
If your row is the first (this can be not only the “first row” physically, but also the first row, after another class of service, or the first row in one of the sections of the cabin, in front of which there are no seats), then a significant advantage of this arrangement is that No one will throw back their seat on you. With short row spacing in economy class, this can be very important.
Of the minuses, we note that most likely there will be a partition or a kitchen/toilet in front of you. Some passengers find it not very convenient to look at the “wall” for the entire flight. Also, there may be mounts for baby cradles in the wall. What this entails - read above.
Last row/row behind which there are no seats
Most likely, the backs of the seats in this row do not recline or are very limited in this. This happens when there is an emergency exit, toilet, kitchen, other technical room or wall behind you.
Let's sum it up
Here, in brief, is a list of good/bad places that a traveler can expect. But it is worth noting that the internal layout of aircraft differs significantly from each other, and this factor must also be taken into account.In addition to the fact that there are 2, 3, 4 seats in a row, it is necessary to take into account the distance between the seats, the number of classes in the cabin, and other features. After all, the same company uses different types of aircraft for flights.
Adviсe. How to get the best seats
1. The model of the airliner, the smallest details of the comfort of the cabins (the presence of a TV, electrical sockets, spacing between rows, location of toilets) can be easily found on the airline’s website.
2. If you know specifically which seat you would like to get, you should ask this question when checking in for your flight at the airport (seats that remain unoccupied after online check-in are allocated there).If you have no idea about the location of the seats, ask to see a diagram of the aircraft’s interior - all free seats will be highlighted in the appropriate color.
Also, when checking in at the airport, you can simply ask for a window seat, an aisle seat, etc. Usually the staff does not refuse.
3. At modern airports you can use the services of self-check-in kiosks and choose your seat. Also, this can almost always be done when registering online on the website of the airline of your choice - this will significantly save time.
The largest Russian airlines already provide this service.
The traditional check-in method is best done two hours before departure. If seats are booked this way, the first registrants have a wide choice of available seats.
4. If possible, you should use less crowded flights - in this case, the comfort of the flight will increase significantly, because (if you wish) you will even have the opportunity to sleep in three free seats; the main thing is not to forget to ask the flight attendant to bring a pillow and a blanket.
The busiest days are Sunday and Friday, with morning and evening flights. If you have time, choose Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday, midday or afternoon flights.
5. In order not to get into trouble, you should take into account the spelling of the letters indicating the seat number - they can be either Russian (1A, 1B, 1B, 1G,1D, 1E) or Latin (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E , 1F), and in certain situations, these are, as they say, two big differences that can overshadow the impression of the flight.After all, for example, seat 1 “B” will have a different location, meaning both a chair near the aisle and in the middle of the row. This must be taken into account so as not to end up with seat 1B (which you thought was near the aisle) in a seat in the middle (since it turned out that this is not the Russian “B”, but the Latin “B”).
Also pay close attention to the letter “E”.Therefore, it is better to choose seats with unambiguous letters: 1A is always a seat by the window, 1C will be an aisle seat in any cabin layout.
Advice. If you fly often, then you know the main stress of everyone (who does not fly in business class;) is to sit in the middle seat in a row of three seats. Knowing and understanding this phobia, you can turn it to your advantage and less often have a neighbor nearby when flying.
At check-in, if you are flying together, ask the staff to seat you in seats near the window and on the aisle. Nobody likes to sit in the middle, and unless the plane is packed to capacity, you won't have an unwanted neighbor. If you are flying solo, you can negotiate this maneuver with another person you like who, like you, is traveling solo. Or simply ask to be seated in the aisle where the window seat is available.
The only problem here is that if the plane is full, you will be separated by a stranger. All that remains is to negotiate with him so that he can move.
6. You should definitely take into account the direction of flight - if you choose the right place, the sun will not blind your eyes: East - West (the sun always shines on the left), West - East (on the right).If there is a need to take a morning flight, the direction North - South will enjoy the sun on the left side, and South - North - on the right.
How to avoid accidentally taking the worst seats
Study the diagram of the airliner you will be flying on, if possible.
Check with your airline representative if possible.
Before the flight, decide what is more important for you - looking out the window or the ability to freely get up from your seat, for example, to the toilet
While studying the interior layout, choose the optimal seats, guided by the same rules that we gave in this article
Do not take seats at the very rear, close to the toilets, galley and other technical areas.
Do not take seats in which the seats do not recline or are limited in this
Do not take seats between emergency exits or behind which they are located.
If you still find yourself in an uncomfortable chair
If you nevertheless received a ticket for a not very convenient seat, then immediately after boarding you have a few minutes to take a more convenient free space (if there are unoccupied seats, of course).
Moreover, it is better not to be shy and change seats yourself, rather than wait for the services of a flight attendant.
After the last person appears on board and the flight attendant announces “Boarding is over”, you have 5 minutes to find a comfortable free seat.There is little time, because after the plane reaches the required speed, getting up from the passenger seat will be strictly prohibited. Well, after gaining altitude, it is likely that all the most comfortable seats on the plane will be occupied by faster and smarter passengers. Yes, and don't worry about it. You will always have time to sit in your rightful (according to your ticket) seat.
But it’s still better to choose the most comfortable seat immediately when purchasing a ticket and checking in for the flight.
All the tips described above are suitable for standard passenger, narrow-body aircraft, such as Airbus A-319 and 320, Boeing-737, SSJ-100, Yak-40, etc., and for wide-body airliners. In addition, there are many more options to occupy a comfortable passenger seat.
I hope that these simple tips will help you fly comfortably without unnecessary stress.
