The one seat you ought to avoid on a plane

Everyone agrees that legroom is a huge deal. But it is not the only way that airplane seats come up short. Some will not recline. Others are constantly bombarded with the scent of the airplane lavatory. Point is, there are many ways your seat can disappoint.

Fortunately, you can steer clear of most of these seats most of the time just by learning which ones to avoid when making your seat selection. Here are the seats you should stay away from every time you travel.

The seat with the entertainment box

You have arrived at your seat and you are going through the process of deciding which items to put in the overhead bin (if you are lucky enough to find room in the overhead bin) and which to stow under the seat in front of you.

And that is when you look down and realise it is going to be an easy decision—because there is no room to stash your stuff (or stretch your legs) under the seat in front of you. Instead, there is a metal case, an “entertainment equipment box,” taking up the entire under-seat storage area.

Although airlines are increasingly phasing out these bulky boxes in favour of direct-to-device streaming, you only have to make this seat mistake once to know those few extra inches of storage and stretching space make a huge difference.

The seat at the back of any section

Seats at the back of a section—those usually found just in front of a bank of lavatories or a galley—are the absolute best if you refuse to recline on principle, truly cannot stand having your seat kicked by the person in back of you, or if you’re simply an aficionado of discomfort. For the rest of us, these seats should be avoided whenever possible.

The seat next to the main exit door

If legroom is your only consideration, then this might be the seat for you. But if you are an average-height person, you may want to question the common wisdom that the seats next to the main exit door are prime real estate.

Why?

You will be giving up your arm’s-reach stowage (no seat in front of you means no under-seat storage, so you will need to put everything in the overhead bins during take-off and landing).

You will also come up against—literally—the reduced seat width that comes with the solid metal armrests needed to stow tray tables.

And you will likely remain chilly for the length of the flight, since the air by the door is colder, presumably because the door has inner mechanical workings instead of insulation.

The seat near the bathroom

Questionable aromas aside, the seats closest to the lavatories are still among the worst in the cabin. That is because there is nearly always a line for the bathroom, and there is something about being in line for the bathroom that seems to make airplane passengers take leave of their basic manners. Expect to be treated to a constant stream of passengers steadying themselves on your seatback, jiggling it back and forth—because of turbulence or simply because they are in the middle of some complicated hamstring stretch. Prepare for getting various body parts smooshed into your shoulder as people try to accommodate two-way traffic in the aisle. And let’s not forget all the projecting-over-the-engine-noise conversations you’ll be treated to while trying to sleep.

The last row

Sit in the last row of a plane and you will likely be treated to a custom blend of lavatory aromas, seats that don’t recline, and a constant crowd of impatient bathroom aspirants waiting their turns.

And when it is time to disembark, here’s a tip: Do not bother getting up for at least 10 minutes after the seatbelt sign dings off. By the time the aisle is clear for you to go, it will just be you and the cleaning crew.

Seats between different configurations

You should be wary of being in that first row when a plane goes from four to three seats per row, or three to two. When a configuration switches to adapt to the tapering of the plane, legroom gets complicated since the optimal leg-stretch zone will be occupied by the seat anchors.

Not only does it mean you may encroach on your neighbour’s space to stow and retrieve items placed under the seat, but it can lead to some pretty significant body aches if you’re twisting to reach your allotted leg room.

The tapered window seat

At the back of some planes there are a few rows of two. This might seem like a dream—more space, no middle seat. But … there is a gap between the seat and the wall of the plane, so you will not be able to lean to sleep.

If you like the feeling of a little room, it can be nice (the perk to be able to stash your stuff alongside you rather than under the seat in front).

But: the person in the seat behind you may claim this space as their extra legroom, which could mean enduring malodorous feet wiggling in your peripheral vision for the length of your flight.

Others

Misaligned window seat

The implied promise of the term “window seat” is there is a window you can see through. But many planes have configurations that place some seats between windows. Not only is this disappointing for anyone who likes to look out the window, it can also create complicated lighting issues, as the window in front of and behind you may peek into your row but you cannot control them. So if you want a dim cabin but the person behind you prefers light, you are either going to have to negotiate or invest in a good eye mask.

-smartertravel.com