As a frequent traveler, I fly almost every week — sometimes more.
Naturally, I have developed a number of preferences regarding where I sit on a plane. My favorite place to sit is in an aisle seat in business or first class.
However, even my Premier 1K status on United doesn’t always get me upgraded, so I make sure to be strategic when studying the seat map for economy.
Here are the seats I try to choose on a plane for a comfortable, pleasant flight.
I enjoy the roominess of an exit row seat
When I can’t snag an upgrade, you’ll find me in the aisle seat in the roomy exit row.
If my aircraft has two exit rows, one behind the other, which is the case for the Boeing 737 Max aircraft on which I often travel, I select the row closer to the back of the cabin.
Because of safety regulations, the exit row in front of me can’t recline into my exit row, which prevents inconsiderate passengers from leaning back into my personal space.
It’s important to remember that exit-row seats also come with certain requirements, including the willingness to help other passengers in an emergency.
Bulkhead seats have several benefits, but one major drawback
I’m also known to select seats in the bulkhead row that’s directly behind a wall, curtain, or screen because they often come with extra legroom. Plus, I can guarantee there won’t be a passenger in front of me reclining right into my lap.
For me, this spot has one drawback: There are no seats in front of me to store my bag under, and I can’t keep it by my feet for safety reasons.
So if I book this seat, I try to board quickly and secure space in a nearby overhead bin so I can access my belongings throughout the flight.
If I have a connecting flight to catch, I choose an aisle seat toward the front of the plane
I’ve been on many trips where the flight attendant gets on the intercom to ask most passengers to remain seated while several people with tight connections deboard.
Unfortunately, I’ve often seen that request ignored. So if I have a connecting flight to catch and only an hour or so to do it, I book an aisle seat as close to the front of the cabin as possible.
Those extra few minutes when everyone is fiddling with their overhead luggage could mean the difference between making or missing my next flight.
When I fly with another person, we both book aisle seats
When I’m with a travel companion and we want to sit together in a typical three-seat row, one of us will end up with the dreaded middle seat.
Since being next to the aisle is basically a nonnegotiable for me, I’ll instead book two aisle seats directly across from one another. This way, we’re still close enough to chat and feel like we’re traveling together, but we still have a decent amount of space.
Another (riskier) strategy is to book the window and aisle of the same row — if you’re lucky, the middle seat might remain empty.
If my preferred seats are taken, I try to sit far from a bathroom or galley
A seat by a bathroom isn’t preferable for several reasons.
For one thing, passengers could be lining up throughout the flight to wait to use it. This means spending a lot of the flight with butts near your face.
You’re also likely to hear the toilet flushing frequently, and bad aromas may waft out the door — neither of which goes well with your pretzels and ginger ale.
I also avoid sitting near a galley area, which can also have a lot of foot traffic because it’s where flight attendants prep the food and beverage service.
This spot is convenient if you want to grab another drink or get your meal quickly, but it can get noisy and busy. This is especially important to keep in mind if you’re a light sleeper.
This story was originally published on May 12, 2025, and most recently updated on November 5, 2026.
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