Where a passengers sits on board a plane can make a massive difference to their enjoyment of a flight. A good seat can help travellers arrive well-rested at their destination, while a bad seat can lead to a stressful and uncomfortable journey.
It is even more important to get a good seat for long-haul or European flights of more than a couple of hours. And while, it is not always possible to get the seat of choice, it's good to know the places to avoid - with some locations even contributing to air sickness.
One of the most infamous places in a cabin is Ryanair's 11A seat on board the no-frills airline's fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. Seats identified by A are usually window positions, but 11A does not. Passengers who have paid extra for a window seat can often be disappointed because there is no exterior view, according to the Daily Star.
One reviewer stated: “There is no window if you need to see out to not feel sick stay away. I thought I was going to vomit for 90 per cent of the flight as I had no reference to the outside.”
Other seats on Ryanair’s Boeing 737-800 to receive such a negative review were seats 33A to F at the rear of the cabin close to the toilets. Seats towards the back of the aircraft sometimes experience more turbulence than those towards the front.
Anyone vulnerable to air sickness should always avoid seats towards the back of the cabin. Passengers seated at the rear are often the final travellers to get off the plane if it is accessed by an air-bridge.
Locations at the rear are also closer to the toilets with the risk of foul smells escaping and queues of passengers lining up for a comfort visit. Food and beverage trollies are also stored near the back, which may cause even more congestion during in-flight service.
It's not just Ryanair which has seats to avoid. The Telegraph said: “Norwegian’s 737s have the same issue (avoid seats 10A, 11A and 11F), as does American Airlines’ (steer clear of 11A and 11F). But if you fly with easyJet, the windowless perches are at the back, rather than in the middle.
“Seat 31A, to be precise, for those on its A320 aircraft, and seat 26A and 26F on its A319s.”
British Airways super-jumbo A380s apparently have a number of seats with limited exterior views. Both 70A and 70K, in economy, will offer little in the way of a outside view. And, this also applies to 12A, 12K, 50A and 50K in Club World.
Frequent flyers recommend using the SeatGuru website for the best options. It allows passengers to view the seating plan of an upcoming flight to locate the seats with most leg room or best cabin location.
