You board the airplane for your flight, looking for your seat. As you walk down the aisle, you discover it may be less than ideal.
In fact, it looks like you may have just about the worst seat on the plane. Is it in the back row, stuck by the lavatory, with no window? Does your seat recline? Is this a long flight?
Is the plane full or can you ask to sit somewhere else? If not, you may want to think about where your seat is before you purchase that ticket next time you want to fly.
Here are a few suggestions and things to think about before you book your LAX to CDG flight. After all, 10 hours in the air can feel like several days if you have a terrible seat.
Before you pack your bags, do a thorough check of the plane and its seats. When you are on the airline’s site, see if there is a map of open seats. In addition, check SeatGuru to see what they have to say about specific seats. They will show you where windows are, where the lavatories are located, and which seats may have reduced width.
If you are flying on an airline where you can pick your seat as you reserve your flight, check out the seats in advance. Then, book your flight and book your seat.
Even though you do that, keep in mind things could change. Why? Airlines sometimes need to rearrange seating due to issues we don’t know about. One time we saw a complete row taped off. When we asked, we were told there were some problems with the seat fasteners in that section. That meant 15 people had to be reseated.
If that happens and the airline notifies you when you are at the gate, ask the gate agent what seats are available. There may be something they can do. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Be polite…
Another reason you may lose your seat is if you show up late for your flight. The airline may have already booked someone else into that seat. This is especially true if you did not check in online 24 hours in advance. Moral of the story…check in in advance and arrive early!
Next time you are getting ready to book, think about seats as well as days and times.