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You can argue window or aisle all day long, but the real key to surviving a flight in economy is picking the best seat for you. And unfortunately, that’s sometimes easier said than done. In some cases, you might have to pay extra for a seat selection. In others, you might find only middle seats are left. To make matters more complicated, some airlines don’t assign seats at all. So, if you’re booking an economy ticket and you want to score the best seat possible, here are the tips you need to know.
Know the seat selection policy of your airline.
These days, most airlines charge extra for seat selection. If you don’t pay for a seat, one will likely be assigned to you during the check-in process. But there are a few outliers that don’t charge for seat selection, including Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian. So, if picking a seat for free is important to you, choose one of these carriers.
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Book early.
The earlier you book a flight, the more likely the plane will be empty, giving you a vast selection of seats. Of course, you might have to pay for those seats, but at least the choice will be there. If you can’t book early, look into booking off-peak flights (meaning off-peak times of the year or even off-peak days of the week, like a Tuesday or Wednesday). Those will likely have more seats open than peak options.
Research your aircraft’s layout.
“Different planes have different layouts and seat configurations, so it’s important to research the type of plane you’ll be on to determine the best seat options,” App in the Air CEO Greg Kott tells Travel + Leisure. Most airlines have seating charts online, or you can try a third-party site like AeroLopa to see the layout and view which rows are bulkhead or near the bathrooms. “You may want to avoid sitting too close to the bathrooms to avoid the noise that comes with lines and potential odors,” Kott adds.
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Keep checking for availability.
If your ideal seat isn’t available at the time of booking, keep checking back regularly. People cancel flights all the time, which means a better seat can open up at any moment. If you don’t want to continually check the seating charts, consider paying for a third-party service like ExpertFlyer, which can send you notifications about seat availability.
Check in as early as possible.
If your seat is going to be assigned at check-in, be sure to check in as early as possible. Usually, once you’ve been auto-assigned a seat, you can then change it to any available one in the cabin. If you check in right when the window opens, there may be some other options elsewhere in the cabin.
Achieve frequent flier status.
This may be easier said than done, but if you achieve airline frequent flier status, you’ll likely be able to pick seats for free. The higher tiers of elite status can even get you free upgrades or economy seats with extra leg room, pending availability. Be sure to research your airline’s specific policies, though, since each carrier has its own perks for status.
Pay up.
Sometimes, the only option to ensure you’ll get the absolute best seat in economy is to pay extra for it. For long-haul red-eye flights, it might be worth it to avoid a cramped middle seat near the lavatories.
Ask at the check-in desk — or even at the gate.
“If you weren’t able to secure your desired seat at the time of booking, try asking for a seat change at check-in,” says Kott. “There may be better seats available that weren’t open when you booked your flight.” If you don’t have luck at check-in, you have one more shot — ask your gate agent if there are any other seats available (say, a window or aisle seat if you’re stuck in the middle). You never know if someone changed their flight at the last minute or missed a connection.