Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money, Getting the perfect seat on an airplane can be the difference between a great flight and a miserable one, especially in coach.
- But ensuring you get one the best seats on a plane the next time you travel doesn’t have to be left to prayers and wishful thinking.
- With the best travel credit cards, you can earn large welcome bonuses that can get you traveling in lie-flat style.
- But many of us like to stretch our points (or cash) for inexpensive coach flights, and that’s where picking the best airline seat makes the biggest impact.
Learning the best seats on a plane for your travel style and priorities will help make your next flight more enjoyable. We’ve done the research so you don’t have to! Here are the top strategies for getting the best airline seat for your needs. 
Choosing the right seat on your flight can make all the difference when traveling. (Photo by bezikus/Shutterstock) Exit rows, aisle or window seats, and anywhere close to the front are typically considered the best seats on a plane. On a short business trip, you might want an aisle seat near the front of the plane so you can debark as quickly as possible on arrival.
Where is the safest seat to sit on a plane?
Tenerife air disaster – If we look at the world’s worst aviation accident, the 1977 Tenerife disaster when a KLM Boeing 747 collided while taking off with a taxiing Pan Am Boeing 747, we see the following:
All the 234 passengers and 14 crew of the KLM aircraft died On the Pan American jumbo jet of its 396 passengers and crew, 61 passengers survived
The 61 passengers and crew that survived were all sitting at the front of the plane and not the back. This suggests that it has more to do with luck than where you are sitting as to whether you will survive. 
61 passengers and crew in the front of the Pan Am plane survived. Photo: Getty Images When writing about the safest seats on a plane, Time Magazine cited a 35-year study done by Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) into seating and fatalities. According to the FAA report looking at accidents and deaths between 1985 and 2020 the worst place to sit is in the middle of the plane. 
Statistically, an aisle seat in the middle has the most fatalities. Photo: Ryanair Another study done by the University of Greenwich also determined that, following a crash, those passengers sitting closest to an emergency exit had the best chance of getting out alive. 
A middle seat in the back of the plane is the safest. Photo: Ryanair While plane crashes and the sheer number of fatalities can be shocking, air travel has only gotten safer over the years. This is also especially so when compared to other forms of transport.
What is the best seat in economy?
If you’re going to sit in economy, you want to be sure you select a Main Cabin Extra seat. These are the best seats you’ll find in the rear section of the plane. What makes these seats special is that they have extra pitch — that is, the distance between the seat back of one seat to the seatback of the seat in front.
Which part of the plane is quietest?
Where to Sit? – In a word? First class. Various studies cited in the studies indicate that sitting in front the wings and engines is the quietest place in flight, with behind the wing and engines being the loudest. That makes intuitive sense. In addition, the Canadian researchers discovered that window seats were four decibels higher than the middle and aisle seats — or almost 50% louder.
Is it safer to sit at the back of a plane?
Accidents – A scientific magazine ‘Popular Mechanics’ did a study in 2007 of air crashes in the US since 1971. The study concluded that passengers who sit in the back rows “are 40% more likely to survive a crash” than those in the front. Statistics provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) support this finding.
According to their stats, the back third of the plane had the lowest fatality rate whilst the highest fatality rate was found at the aisles in the middle section. A separate study of 105 air crashes by British experts concluded that the most dangerous seats are those by the window, especially in the back.
However, if there is a fire, passengers who sit in the front have a better chance of escaping than those in the back (probably something to do with the fuel tanks being in the back). Passengers who sit within five rows of an exit have the biggest chance of escaping during a fire in a plane. Is there such a thing as “the safest spot on a plane”? So, is there really a safe spot? Airlines contend that there is no such thing. I would agree as there are so many random factors to consider during an accident. However, statistically speaking, a seat close to an exit in the front or rear, or a middle seat in the back third of the plane offers the lowest fatality rate.
Is it safer to sit in the back of a plane?
Accidents – A scientific magazine ‘Popular Mechanics’ did a study in 2007 of air crashes in the US since 1971. The study concluded that passengers who sit in the back rows “are 40% more likely to survive a crash” than those in the front. Statistics provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) support this finding.
According to their stats, the back third of the plane had the lowest fatality rate whilst the highest fatality rate was found at the aisles in the middle section. A separate study of 105 air crashes by British experts concluded that the most dangerous seats are those by the window, especially in the back.
However, if there is a fire, passengers who sit in the front have a better chance of escaping than those in the back (probably something to do with the fuel tanks being in the back). Passengers who sit within five rows of an exit have the biggest chance of escaping during a fire in a plane. Is there such a thing as “the safest spot on a plane”? So, is there really a safe spot? Airlines contend that there is no such thing. I would agree as there are so many random factors to consider during an accident. However, statistically speaking, a seat close to an exit in the front or rear, or a middle seat in the back third of the plane offers the lowest fatality rate.
Should you sit in the back of the plane?
Towards The Back of The Plane – Seats towards the back of the plane tend to experience more turbulence than those towards the front. Those who experience motion sickness should avoid seats in the back at all costs. Additionally, those seated in the back are the last passengers to get off the plane.
That means seats in the back are problematic if you need to catch a tight connecting flight. Seats in the back are also more likely to be close to bathrooms. Lines can get long near the lavatories and other passengers may congregate. You may also be subject to foul odors. Food and beverage carts are also near the back, which may congest things even further.
Seats in the back get worse the further back you get. The last row does not recline, so you will be forced to sit upright for the entire flight. Seats in the last row are also closest to the lavatories. Those Who May Like Seats in The Back of The Plane: There are not many advantages to sitting in the back of the plane.
