Have A Seat

David J. Danto

Travel thoughts in my own, personal opinion

eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org Follow Industry News: @NJDavidD on

Have A Seat– April 2025

Generated image Let’s talk about one of the most consequential travel decisions you can make – one that requires no passport, no visa, no vaccine, and no loyalty number: where do you sit on an airplane?

Now, sure, the obvious answer is “first class,” assuming you can afford it or score one of those increasingly mythical upgrades. But even up front, it’s not that simple. On domestic flights, I’ll avoid the first row of first class like a middle seat on Spirit – no underseat storage, no seat-back pocket, nowhere to stash my stuff. But if I find myself in an internationally configured first (what U.S. airlines call “business” class, because let’s not get carried away), the front row becomes the gold spot. Why? Because that slightly larger forward ledge gives you extra surface area – an easy place to dump your stuff upon boarding as you organize places for your laptop, water bottle, phone, and existential dread.

But enough fantasy. Let’s talk about where most of us actually fly – economy, or if you're lucky, economy adjacent.

On United, that means Economy Plus – the first few rows behind first class with a couple of extra inches of legroom and a faint whiff of superiority. My go-to is an aircraft with a mid-cabin lavatory (think 739-ER, 739-MAX, or 757). I aim for about three rows behind the start of Economy Plus. Why? Because I like having bin space that isn't already jammed with the plane’s emergency equipment or claimed by the folks in row the first row of E-Plus who brought their entire apartment on board and have no seatback pocket or underseat storage.

And always – always – an aisle seat. First, there's the obvious benefit: freedom to get to the lavatory without climbing over strangers. But there’s also the secret bonus: if you know where the latch is, you can lift the aisle armrest and steal another precious inch or two of seat width. When you're flying coach, that’s the kind of tactical edge that separates the veteran fliers from the amateurs.

As a warning however, make the 739-ER your lowest choice. While it has a good configuration, on United it typically has a mesh seat-back pocket that’s about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Internationally, things improve slightly. Most long-haul flights have a few rows of Premium Economy, which actually delivers on the promise – a footrest, more pitch, and service that makes you feel a tiny bit less like cattle. (A very tiny bit…) I sometimes spring for it, but not when I’m traveling with my wife and/or family because the aggregate is just too much to pay. It’s not about the money. It’s about the principle of not giving in to the airlines’ aggressive cash-grab for a very miniscule amount of extra dignity. (On our next US-Europe trip, the upgrade cost is more than the original coach ticket.) As always, keep a close eye on the airlines’ app or website, because they sometimes reduce the price of an upgrade to PE to an actual reasonable amount.

Speaking of traveling with my wife – our move is to book aisle seats across from each other in the same row. It gives us each the extra inch of two of seat width and still has enough proximity to pass snacks or roll eyes at the various indignities of flying. That old trick of booking a window and aisle to scare off someone from booking the middle seat? Long dead. These days, flights aren’t just full – they’re oversold. That middle seat’s going to someone who checked in six hours early and still drew the short straw.

So, that’s my seat strategy. What's yours? Got any hacks, horror stories, or seat map voodoo you swear by? Drop me a note, and I’ll feature your advice in a future blog. Just don’t say you prefer the middle seat – I don’t need that kind of chaos in my life.

This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal opinions.

All image and links provided above as reference under prevailing fair use statutes.

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