Choosing the best seat on the airplane that suits our needs can make a big difference on the quality of our traveling.
We are not all equal and priorities change based on our human physical conditions, on preferences and characteristic of our travel. The flight duration can make a great difference, like the type of our trip and the presence or absence of companions. If we travel in a group or with children, our priorities and needs will certainly be different from those who travel alone or for work.
So, how can we know which row and which seat is more suitable for our needs?
Many airline companies that operate scheduled flights offer the possibility to reserve seats both when buying plane tickets online and at check-in. But when it comes to groups – for example Sports Team or Incentive Tours, it is not always easy to find the availability of seats next to each other and this can be extremely penalizing both in the case of Team Building (which is scattered and loses its sense of “group”) and in case of sport teams. Sport players and athletes do not appreciate being confined to the seat indicated by the boarding pass…
However, when flying with a charter, it will be the organizer of the flight who reports the special needs of the passengers and establishes the allocation of the seats. In our case, it is the companies of Events Organization, DMC, the Agencies of Incentive Travel and Sports Travel Agency who will request the pre-allocation of the seats. It is That Aviation Italia that will make sure that all of the requests are being satisfied and we can assure you that it is really rare that any problems happen during this phase!
Airplane seats in front or back?
Of course it is obviously a personal choice but, in principle, we can say that on widebody airplane the front part of the Economy cabin, is the most silent part, while the rear part – behind the engines – is the most noisier and tends to bounce more during turbulence.
Aisle, central or window seat?
Usually, the central seat is the least sought after, because every time you want to get up to stretch your legs or use the bathroom you need to ask the passenger next to you to get up. Furthermore, there is no possibility to lean on the bulkhead to sleep or to extend your legs in the passage lane.
If, during the flight, you want to sleep without being disturbed, the window seat is the most suitable one, because you can lean on the wall of the cabin and not risk being woken up by passengers next to you who need to get up. However, not all the airplanes have the same wall’s curvature and width of the seats and also in this case we need to make distinctions based on the airplane model, but we will talk about it a bit later.
The aisle seat offers the possibility to get up without disturbing other passengers and to extend your legs. But you should remember that you might be disturbed by fellow travelers who, in their turn, want to get up. In addition, the seats along the aisle are subject to shocks while passengers pass or when the cabin crew pass through with the service carts.
Bulkhead seat or the exit line?
Most of the Low-Cost airline companies or those which operate on scheduled flights charge an additional cost for the exit line seats, in other cases these seats are assigned at check-in to passengers with small children or those whose height and body proportions are above average.
The Bulkhead, instead, is the “separation wall” (usually a curtain) that divides the cabins. It can be a separation between economy, business and top classes or can be a dividing wall used by the crew for larger aircraft, which are generally used for long-range flights. It can also be a divider that splits the seating area from service and kitchen areas.
One of the advantages is that you do not have anyone sitting in front of you and, generally, you have more space for your legs in a more comfortable area. When sitting in front on the airplane, you will also be among the first to use the on-board services. The disadvantage is that you will have no space to store your hand luggage, which will need to be placed in the appropriate locker both during the take-off and landing. Likewise, the tray table will be placed inside the armrest, as well as the PTV entertainment screen. Also, the armrest is fixed and cannot be moved.
Another consideration to make is that, because it is more spacious, it is often a place where passengers who stretch their legs, tend to stop.
Which are the less coveted seats on an airplane?
It is easy to deduce: the less coveted seats are located near toilets and the galley. Apart from the smells, these areas are also noisy due to the flow of the bathroom, the continuous passage of passengers and the continuous “intrusion” of light due to the opening and closing of the bathroom door or of the bulkhead for service reasons. And when you are in the dark/sleep phase, this might be very annoying.
Ultimately, what should we consider when choosing the best seats on the plane?
Each type of aircraft has its own configuration as well as each airline company has the right to choose the interior design and to determine the number of rows, width of the seats and the distance between one seat and another.
We advise to check directly on the airline company’s website the map of the aircraft configuration before booking your flight. If instead, it is That Aviation Italia that organizes your charter flight, we will be pleased to attend to all of the particulars of the case, in base of your chosen private plane. But, in principle, among the most commonly used aircrafts in air chartering, we can say that:
The best seats are located in rows 17 and 18, near the emergency exits. As well as the 1A, 1B
and 1C seats, which offer plenty of space for your legs, with the only inconvenience of their proximity to the bathrooms and to the service area of the cabin crew. The seats to avoid are those which are located in the last row.
The best seats are located close to the emergency exits (row 11) and 1B, 1C and 1D seats at
the beginning of the airplane. The seats to avoid are at the end of the plane where there is less space because the airplane tightens towards the tail, there are no windows and you are close to bathrooms.
The best seats are always located near the emergency exits, precisely rows 12 and 13 and 1B, 1C and 1D seats at the beginnig of the plane. The 1A, 1E and 1F seats could be good if it were not for the front wall (1E and 1F) and the protrusion of the security door that invades the passenger area (1A). The last seats of the plane are to be avoided due to the space shrinkage and their proximity to the bathrooms.
When organizing an Incentive, a team building trip or the transfer of a football team or sports team, the allocation of the seats can also be a very important aspect and can make the difference.
You can rely on That Aviation Italia for the best solutions in chartering private planes. Our staff will give you all of the information and advices you need to know for an excellent result!
That Aviation Italia: Your trustworthy Broker.
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