Some 150 years ago, people covered a distance of 200 km in 2 days. Who of them could have imagined that at the beginning of the 21st century, having spent only a few hours, it would be possible to be on another continent. An airplane is one of the best gifts that humanity has made for itself. Learning to understand the intricacies of choosing a class of service on board and booking an air ticket will not hurt either those who rarely fly or regulars of air ships.

Service classes in passenger air transportation

Aircraft service level classification includes three main classes:

1. Economy class;
2. Business Class;
3. First grade.

Note! For air carriers, this grading is optional. Some airlines are introducing their own scale or adding new positions between the well-known ones: business premium between first and business class on the plane, economy comfort between economy and business, etc. This practice is not common, because for the convenience of both passengers and the carriers themselves, it is easier to use a single system.

Standard service level

Economy class is the most popular among aircraft passengers. Most of all seating on the ship falls into this category. On the ticket, class membership is indicated by a special letter in the "CL" column. Depending on the airline and the selected fare, it can be any letter of the Latin alphabet. For different carriers, the same letter may indicate different tariffs.

Disadvantages of air travel in economy class on an airplane:

• Economy class air travelers have to spend more time on board upon arrival. The seats here are located in the tail of the aircraft or in the center, so passengers with seats of increased comfort are the first to leave the aircraft;
• The width of the seats and the distance between the rows are minimal. It will be difficult for an oversized person to fit on board an Aeroflot flight, on seats up to 46 cm wide. Standard aisles between rows from 75 to 90 cm also reduce the comfort of such a trip;
• Not all seats in the standard cabin are foldable. Seats at emergency exits, in front of the sanitary block and the food compartment are equipped with seats, the backs of which can only be in an upright position;
• Economy meals may differ from carrier to carrier. The diet and assortment in this class is much simpler than in the business class cabin;
• Check-in for a flight for passengers from this category does not provide any benefits and takes place at a standard counter at the airport. A special bus delivers travelers to the planes. Major airports have telescopic bridges to which aircraft dock. In this case, passengers themselves go on board as soon as boarding is announced;
• Aeroflot's maximum carry-on baggage weight should not exceed 10 kg. The luggage compartment will carry a suitcase no heavier than 23 kg free of charge. Sometimes free baggage allowance is not allowed, it depends on the conditions of the air carrier.

Pros of a trip in a regular cabin:

• Economy class ticket prices when traveling in one plane are very different from the first and business;
• The tail section of the aircraft, according to research, is the safest place during flight;
• Service in the salons of some airlines includes the provision of a blanket, pillow, headphones, folding table, as well as a pocket with standard literature. The list is different for each air carrier. Other accessories may be added to this list, or vice versa, depending on company terms and conditions.

Superior class

An intermediate service was first launched by KLM in 1976. Business class is between the highest and lowest service levels. The difference from Aeroflot's economy one lies in nutrition and attention paid to passengers.

Advantages and disadvantages of traveling in a cabin with a higher level of service:

• The cost of the ticket assumes compliance with the definition of "price-quality". A ticket to such a cabin in the same plane will always be more expensive than in economy class and cheaper than in first class;
• The seating is usually wider than standard, the row spacing is more spacious, the aisles in the cabin are wide. Depending on the liner, the business class cabin can be different. Types of seats are fully folding and with an angle of 160 degrees;
• Business passengers have unlimited access to food and drinks throughout the flight. The menu offers a wide range of dishes;
• The weight of hand luggage and main luggage, which can be transported free of charge, is 2 times greater than that of the economy one. These conditions are provided by Aeroflot;
• Business class passengers check-in for the flight out of turn, at a separate counter. Upon completion of registration, travelers are offered a free zone with food, drinks, internet. Here you can comfortably wait for the start of boarding;
• Many airlines practice transfer to the airport, as well as delivery to the destination upon arrival. The cost of the service is included in the price of the air ticket.

It should be noted that the declared level of service does not always correspond to reality. A situation is possible when an aircraft is sent for landing, in which only economy class seats are provided. In this case, even with a ticket to the zone with increased comfort in hand, the passenger is forced to fly on general terms, without knowing how business class differs from economy class.

In favor of these travelers is their right to a free ticket cancellation, with a full refund without commissions. He can also reschedule the flight to another day.

Flight with royal service

There are many privileges for first class passengers. Free delivery to the airport and taxi to the hotel at the end of the trip. The lucky one will wait for boarding in the best airport lounge. In large air harbors, it happens that the zone of increased comfort is equipped with sleeping places and showers. Gourmet snacks and drinks are served here. Most often, these passengers do not go to the check-in counter at all - they are met by a specially designated airport employee (from a separate entrance), escorted to the VIP lounge, and he himself carries out the check-in procedure.

Each passenger of this class has a large individual space on the plane. This is a whole room with a bed, a business area with a table and a chair, and other attributes. The armchairs can be fully expanded and converted into a full bed. The interior depends on the carrier. An elite menu, expensive drinks are provided in unlimited quantities. The quality of interior materials finishing, dishes, quality of accessories - everything is at the highest level. Passengers of the 1st class board the board first, on special transport. Carriage of baggage over 45 kg and carry-on baggage in unlimited quantities is implied for them free of charge.

The downside is the high price, which not everyone can afford. Also, not all flights provide this type of service - such a cabin is more common on transatlantic flights.

Booking classes

Each airline develops its own tariffs and conditions that they offer. The conditions include the comfort of the seat, the rules in the case of a ticket exchange or refund, and others. The list of conditions that accompany the selected fare will be the more profitable for the passenger, the higher the type of booking.

When booking, each fare is indicated on the ticket with a letter of the Latin alphabet. Two tickets purchased in the same class may differ in price if they have different booking types.

Note! The lower the price, the more restrictions the ticket will have for all service classes. But the service always corresponds to the selected class.

Popular T class booking in the economy salon from Aeroflot. The fare has its own limitations - the date of the return flight is strictly fixed, the ticket is redeemed within 24 hours from the moment it was issued, you cannot select a seat in advance, unfavorable conditions in case of booking cancellation. The inconvenience is compensated for by the favorable cost, for which the tariff is popular.

For comparison, class Y of the same carrier assumes a flight in economy, with an open return date, without restrictions on paying for such a ticket, with the opportunity to get a seat in business class (there are rules specified in the fare description) and many other permitted benefits. A ticket with a Y type of reservation will cost much more than a T class ticket.

Some airlines have strict rules on the provision of seating in the cabin, depending on the type of booking. In the recent past, Kuban Airlines had a tariff "Flight strictly in the 20th row". Two people from the business class may have a different assortment on the menu, and in the first class, someone will hear more neighbors.

Important! The lower the class of the booking, the fewer tickets are available for sale at this rate.

Video

Seat classes in airplanes are an opportunity for people to choose the optimal conditions for an air trip. Passengers with different requests and wallet thicknesses fly in full accordance with their capabilities.

If you like to travel a lot and often, then you probably spend a lot of time on the road, namely, on board. If the flight does not last long, then you don’t pay attention to minor inconveniences, but if you need to fly for 8-10 hours, then comfort is of great importance, and all other things being equal, I will always choose more convenient flight conditions.

The comfort of your flight depends on many factors - entertainment on board, but most importantly - on the convenience of the seat itself, where you will spend almost the entire journey. Today I want to talk about the difference between different seats on board, how to find out in advance which cabin your flight will have, and how to choose the seat you like.

To choose the best seat on board an aircraft, you first need to find out which aircraft you will fly on. Moreover, even the same aircraft from different airlines may have different seat layouts, so it is important to find out not just the type of aircraft, but the specific aircraft.

You can do this even before buying a ticket on the airline's website (in the flight schedule) or in a ticket search engine.

For example, when searching for a ticket, you can see the name of the airline and the flight number in the route description right away. Let's look at the example of a London-New York flight:

The first segment of the flight will be operated by Norwegian Air, flight number DY-2802. Using this information, you can learn more about a particular aircraft at www.seatguru.com and www.seatexpert.com.

2. Where to find the interior layout

You can also see the layout of the salon on specialized sites.

Let's try to find an aircraft cabin diagram for the same flight London-New York for the first flight segment at www.seatguru.com.

First, on the main page, enter the necessary information - the name of the airline and the flight number (we have already found them on the ticket search engine or on the airline's website):

A window opens where you can see what the plane will be like. To see the layout of the salon, click on "View map":

A page opens with detailed information about the aircraft, as well as a seating layout:

3. Features of different places on board the aircraft

In addition to a detailed study of the schemes, you need to remember some of the features of different places on board and choose the best place based on your needs. Let's take a look at the different types of seats on the plane.

3.1. Emergency exit seats

If your height is above average, then these places are created especially for you! There is much more legroom in the lane opposite the emergency exit than in normal seats. But there are also restrictions - carry-on baggage will have to be removed to the overhead rack, because safety rules do not allow putting things in the aisle to the emergency exit. So you can't put anything under your own or under the seat of the passenger in front. Also, passengers with children are not allowed to the emergency exits, because it is assumed that a person must be seated at the emergency exit who will be able to help the flight attendants open the emergency exit and evacuate passengers.

Also note that if your seat is located in the row that is in front of the emergency row, then you will not be able to recline the back of the seat so as not to obstruct the emergency exit.

3.2. Seats at the beginning of the plane

• Most often, the very first row is booked for frequent flyers and for passengers with children. So keep in mind that you may not be able to sleep because of the crying baby. Although you are not insured against this in other places, but here the probability is higher.
• The service starts right from the front rows, so you will have the maximum choice of dishes.
• You will have to walk to the toilet, because The business class toilet is generally not allowed to use.
• After landing, you will be able to leave the plane in the first rows, immediately after first and business class passengers.

3.3. Seats in the middle of the plane

These places do not have pronounced disadvantages or advantages. When choosing a seat in the middle of the aircraft, pay attention to whether the wing of the aircraft will obstruct your view if you plan to sit near the window.

3.4. Seats in the tail of the plane

According to statistics, the seats located in the tail section of the aircraft are considered the safest, because most of the passengers who survived the plane crash were in the tail section.

But there are no absolutely safe places, so let's look at other features of these places:

• there are toilets in the tail section, which is convenient on the one hand - you do not need to go far, but on the other hand, there will always be people walking next to you, so it can be very noisy.
• the last rows do not always have portholes, so if you want to enjoy the views, look at the diagram of the plane you will fly on in advance.
• also on the last row, the backrest may not recline, because additional space is not provided.
• If you like to photograph the view from the window, please note that there may be poor visibility in the tail section due to the exhaust plume.
• if the plane is not packed to capacity, then most of the free seats are usually in the tail section, so it will be possible to take several seats at once, lounging comfortably.
• if you are flying with a transfer, then it is better not to sit in the very tail of the plane, because you can leave only the very last one, thereby wasting a lot of time.
• food distribution usually starts from the beginning or middle of the plane, so if you have not ordered special meals, some dishes may not be enough for you (for example, you eat only fish, and only a few portions with meat will remain).

3.5. The most inconvenient places

In addition to relatively comfortable seats, which have both advantages and disadvantages, there are also places where it is categorically not recommended to sit, for example:

• seats in the row located in front of the emergency exit. You will not be able to recline the back.
• seats in the middle row (if the aircraft has three rows of seats, with the layout 3-3-3, 3-4-3, 2-5-2). Especially if you are sitting in the middle of this row - it is difficult to get out to the toilet, you may have to let passengers pass by yourself, it is also difficult to get something from the luggage rack, it is the longest to get out after the plane stops.
• places near the toilet - there may be an unpleasant smell, and people scurrying back and forth will not give you a rest.

4. How to book a specific seat on board

When you have decided on the place you want to take, you need to book it. This can be done both in advance and immediately before departure. At the same time, you need to understand that the earlier you start booking a seat, the more chances you will have exactly what you want.

So, there are several options for booking a seat.

4.1. Booking when buying a ticket

If you, then most likely it will be possible to book a seat on board immediately upon purchase. Inquire immediately about the possibility of such an option.

Peculiarities. If you are flying on a low-cost airline, then, most likely, an additional fee will be charged for booking a specific seat. So I don't see the point of booking something in advance, only if you really need a certain seat for some reason (for example, you are traveling with a child and want to be sure in advance that you will sit next to or take a seat in the first row) ... If you do not book a seat in advance, then it is likely that you will be able to use another choice option, more on that below.

4.2. Booking in your personal account

If you bought your ticket from an intermediary (for example, through or skyscanner), then you can manage your booking on the airline's website. Just go to the airline's website, register (or immediately go to your personal account, if you are already registered) and in your personal account go to the section "my reservations" or "manage reservations". There you can already select seats (if there is such an option) or, for example, insert a card number for calculating miles.

4.3. Seat selection during online check-in

Online check-in usually starts 24 hours before the departure of the plane, but sometimes it opens earlier, you need to find out on the airline's website. It is best to register immediately, in the first minutes after the start of registration, so there will be more chances that you will have time to book the desired seat. In order not to miss the time, set yourself a reminder. Again, this option does not apply to low-cost companies, since there is a choice of seat only for an additional fee.

4.4. Seat selection during check-in at the airport

Here, too, it makes sense to arrive at the airport early in order to be among the first to register. The best seats are already taken, but at least you can choose a seat by the window or in the aisle, in the middle of the plane or at the end. If you use the check-in counter at the last minute, you will most likely not be able to choose a seat. This applies to flights to popular destinations during the high season. If you are flying in low season and the plane is half empty, then closer to the end of check-in, you can, for example, ask for a seat on a free lane, where there will be no one next to you.

4.5. Choosing a seat after boarding

As soon as the landing is announced, you can safely choose a more convenient place for yourself. This applies, first of all, to low-cost airlines, because this is the only free seat selection option.

Also, a feature of low-cost airlines is that they sell a little more tickets than seats on the plane. according to statistics, about 10% of passengers do not come to the flight. Therefore, the passengers who came the very last can often be seated in the best seats, even sometimes they are put in business class (if, of course, it is provided for in this low-cost airline).

Not everyone can afford to fly in business class and take up slightly more space than a standard seat. Those who fly often know that the chance to sit with a large person or someone with different ideas about hygiene is very high. It is impossible to avoid this, but you can try to sit near the window or in the aisle if it will be more comfortable for you to survive the deprivation of the flight.

Russian Forbes gives practical advice on how not to make a mistake with a seat on the plane.

1. Learn more about the model and the location of the seats on the plane

You can find out on which aircraft model a particular flight is made on the airline's website. Aircraft of different airlines are quite different from each other in terms of the comfort of the cabins. The websites SeatGuru, SeatExpert have all the details about the layout of a wide variety of aircraft: the presence of electrical outlets and TVs in the backs of the seats, the location of toilets, the spacing between rows (usually it is 80 cm, but some companies, such as JetBlue, have increased it by 5 cm) - this seemingly small difference during long flights is very much felt.

The first row behind the business class is considered the most comfortable: there is more legroom, no one sits in front of you - which means that no one throws back their chair on you, you will be the first to get food, drinks, newspapers, you will get blankets and pillows for for those traveling with small children, it is possible to attach a cradle for babies to the wall and put a child seat. But there are also disadvantages here - because of the tables hidden in the armrests, it is impossible to lift these armrests and turn the chair into a sofa, or put a sleeping child on your lap. And if, for example, you are going to work on the way or prepare for a business meeting, you should hardly strive to sit in the front rows: being close to children (and there are usually most of them here) is unlikely to contribute to concentration.

Seats at emergency exits are also held in high esteem by experienced travelers: the spacing between rows here is 15 cm more than in the rest of the cabin, but depending on the layout of the cabin, the backs of the seats often do not fall (you will regret it on long flights) and you cannot keep your hand on the floor luggage. The rules prescribe to plant only tall adults in these places.

“To be honest, for obvious reasons, at registration they first of all look to ensure that this person is physically strong, energetic and, how to put it, smart,” says Boris Rybak, director of the consulting company Infomost. "In case of an emergency, he must open the door and help the crew to evacuate passengers."

Although there are cases when even a fragile girl could convince an airline employee that she needs to fly in this particular row.

In the middle of the cabin, for a significant part of the flight, you find yourself "locked" carts with food, drinks, newspapers, and duty-free goods. In addition, usually rows 8-20 are the noisiest zone on the plane, where all the noise of engines and turbines is concentrated. But there is no such information on the websites and cabin diagrams, and only airline employees at check-in can help you find a quieter place - different types of aircraft have different noise distribution schedules.

In the tail of the plane, there is a little narrower space (this is the geometry of the plane) - to sit there closer, shakes more, a small selection of food, newspapers and magazines (according to the principle - what is left), next to it is a toilet, which most often has a queue - which means noise. The only plus is that tail sites are considered safer.

2. Book your seats in advance

Advance booking allows you to choose your seats on the plane long before the flight. This is especially convenient for those who fly in large companies - it is difficult to expect that all of you will be able to sit next to each other. British Airways has introduced an additional booking fee since October this year: now, for the choice of a comfortable seat, Economy Class passengers will have to pay £ 10 ($ 16) on European flights and £ 20 ($ 32) on long flights, and £ 20 ($ 32) ) and 60 pounds (98 $), respectively, for business class passengers. But most air carriers (with the exception of low-cost carriers, which charge everything) still provide this service for free when buying tickets both on the Internet and in the offices of airlines. But few people know about it - because for some reason, neither the carriers themselves, nor the agents especially advertise it.

If you book your seat in advance, you can also order a special meal (which, too, very few people know about) - all air carriers have different options for dining. Transaero, for example, offers a choice of about 30 different meals - vegetarian, kosher, Muslim, low-calorie, diabetic and others, plus 2 types of baby food.

3. Use online registration

You can also choose a place convenient for you during online check-in, this procedure is becoming more and more popular - you can check-in at the airport at special kiosks, and even on the airline's website. Thus, you save a lot of time (you can arrive at the airport at least 50 minutes before departure), however, there are a number of restrictions - you must travel without luggage, without small children, without animals. In general, this option is suitable for a businessman traveling light. In addition, some companies, for example, Delta or Air Berlin, do not display seats near emergency exits (and they are considered good by travelers) in the online check-in system, keeping them for tall and large passengers. The second point is that not all companies have online registration desks in Russia, and so far only in Moscow - in Dodomedovo and Sheremetyevo-2.

In the near future - the creation of a single group boarding pass, which will allow you to get seats next to each other, for example, a large family or a company of passengers - for this they will not necessarily appear to everyone at the airport at the same time, 1 person will be able to register the entire company: the data of several travelers at once will be stored on the chip of one ticket.

4. Arrive for registration in advance

Do not neglect the simplest and most proven way to get the desired seat in the salon: do not be lazy and arrive at the beginning of registration. According to the director of the press service of the airline Transaero Sergey Byhal, “the employees of the airline at check-in always try to meet passengers and take into account their wishes”. For solo travelers, the following option is also possible: take a chance and play the lottery - arrive, on the contrary, at the very end of check-in: if you are lucky, you may be provided with a seat in business class, and if you are not lucky, you will get a seat from which all other passengers have already refused.

5. Choose the days of the least traffic for flights

Experts recommend, whenever possible, to schedule flights for the days and hours of the least congestion at airports - this is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. The busiest days are Friday and Sunday. The busiest flights are morning and evening. In the half-empty cabins of "weekday" flights, the flight attendants themselves will offer you to change seats to unoccupied rows - it is quite possible to sleep on three seats.

6. Try "informal methods"

A few years ago, the practice of getting good seats on board or getting into business class for a bribe to airline employees was widespread (500 rubles invested in a passport can still open the way for you to a seat near the emergency exit, but we do not recommend this). The American Forbes.com tells the story of a passenger who, on a flight from New York to Germany, was helped by a $ 100 bill to get into business class. True, on the way back with the German airline staff, the same trick did not work.

When registering online. Previously, this could only be done at check-in at the airport counter (or at the ticket office of an authorized agent, which no one knew about), which forced passengers using this service to arrive early, otherwise there might not be enough seats. What are these places and how much?

At the moment, the airline offers 4 categories of seats provided for an additional fee:
"Space +" - seats with increased legroom, mainly at emergency exits; it costs 1000-3200 rubles. for domestic routes and 15-55 euros for international (depending on the duration of the flight - there are three gradations:<3, 3-6 и >6 o'clock).

"Space + Upper Deck" - seats with increased legroom on the upper deck of the Boeing-747, it costs 3000-5600 rubles. on domestic flights and 75-90 euros (or $ 85) on international.

Front Rows - seats in rows 1-4 of Boeing 737-800 (300-500 rubles for domestic flights and 5-8 euros ($ 10 for international).

"A-zone" - seats in the bow of the Boeing-747 (the first saloon of the lower deck for 55 seats): 700 rubles or 12 euros ($ 14).

It should be noted that all innovations concern flights of "Russia" (FV5501-5900), which are operated without a code-share with "Aeroflot"; DCS Astra (Sirena-Travel) is used here for check-in, and not Saber, which does not have such a function: only a platinum-level passenger can choose comfortable seats in Aeroflot outside the counter, and free of charge. Privileges on bonus cards of elite levels of Aeroflot are not valid on these Rossiya flights, so you can get these seats free of charge only by chance, arriving at the counter at the airport at the very end of check-in.

If the flight is short, then perhaps this question is not urgent for you. And for those who fly often, who are going on a long flight, it is important to know where the best seats are located on the plane. After all, you must admit that when planning a vacation to distant hot countries, we dream that it will be a success, and the impression of it was not blurred by the "difficulties of the flight." I don’t want to sit somewhere in a cramped middle row, sandwiched between overweight passengers, or to get into the tail section, where there is not even a porthole, to have a neighborhood next to the toilet, where passengers ply endlessly.

If you know the make of the aircraft on which you are planning to fly, then the diagram of the aircraft can be viewed on the official website of the carrier. In most cases, such information is not available and it is better to use some general rules when buying tickets, which we will describe here.

Porthole seating has many advantages:

• good lighting, especially if you are going to read;
• you can admire the views of cities during take-off and landing or bizarre views of the clouds;
• you will not be disturbed by squeezing towards the exit.

These places have only one drawback: it will be difficult for you to go out into the aisle, if you need to go to the toilet, you will have to bother the neighbors. If you do not like to do this, but have a need to go out often, then it is better to take a ticket closer to the aisle.

By the passage

Seats have advantages for leggy and restless people. Here you can stretch your legs into the aisle, stand up, stand for a while, and freely go to the toilet. After landing, again, you get off the plane faster. On the other hand, these are the most hectic places. Stewardesses with carts drive endlessly, sometimes they even hurt. Every time you have to get up when someone goes to the toilet.

Golden mean

Some, after weighing the pros and cons of extreme seats, deciding where it is better to sit on the plane, will take seats in the middle, they are not too hectic and they will not have to disturb their neighbors much. If you need to get up, then at least not everyone has to get through and fewer people pass through you, which means that they will be bothered less often.

Seats behind emergency exits

These seats are located farther from the previous row, so it is quite comfortable to sit here, you can stretch your legs, go to the toilet without bothering anyone. Often, air carriers leave such places for physically prepared people who, in the event of an accident and evacuation (God forbid!), Will be able to open an emergency exit. Also, according to the rules, it is strictly forbidden to obstruct the passage to these places with suitcases.

Places behind escape hatches

These are very inconvenient places in the sense that the chairs are not thrown back, they are fixed so as not to block the passages to the emergency exits. If the row is located between two escape hatches, then the passenger has the advantage that there is some additional space in front of him.

In front of the plane

They are convenient in that passenger service begins precisely from these places, and you have a wider choice of food and drinks. In addition, the advantage of front row passengers is that they will be able to descend the aircraft ladder faster. The negative aspect of these places is that passengers with children often take tickets here, since fastenings for baby strollers are made in the bow. Well, everyone knows what it means to fly next to a child who is capricious.

Seats in the tail of the plane

These are usually economy class seats and are considered to have few amenities. However, the biggest advantage that will probably outweigh all others when deciding which seats are best on the plane is safety. According to statistics, during crashes and accidents, it is the passengers in the tail section that often survive, since the main blow always falls on the nose of the aircraft.

Often on unloaded flights, these seats remain free, and you can safely take several at once and even sleep. The disadvantages of these places include the fact that the service of passengers in the tail section is obtained in the last turn.

Why is the first row good?

There are no seats in front of the first row on the plane, this is a big advantage:

• you can stretch your legs;
• no one will recline a chair on you.

Note, however, that the first row, in front of which there is no seating, may be after the rows of a different class of service, or the one in front of which the kitchen is located. In this case, all the way you have to look at the wall, and cradles for babies are often attached to the wall. You can take tickets to these seats if necessary.

The last row

The seats in the last row are very uncomfortable, since the seats do not recline, and if they do, then very little, and you will not be able to rest normally, especially if you are on a long flight.

This is a brief description of all types of seats on the plane, but you also need to take into account the following factors:

• the number of classes of service in the cabin;
• distance between rows;
• number of seats in a row.

All these characteristics are different for different liner models.

Scheme for buying good seats on the plane

1. Find out the model of the liner on which you are going to fly. It will be good to consult with the airline employees, find out in general about the degree of comfort of the cabin: the presence of sockets, the distance between the rows, is there a TV, where the toilet is located.
2. Buy your ticket online or at self-check-in kiosks at the airport, if available. So you can choose a free, comfortable seat. On the websites of airlines, you can find aircraft cabin diagrams.
3. If you buy tickets at a regular ticket office, just ask where you need to, "at the window" or "at the aisle."
4. Think about what is most important to you during the flight, what you will do - look out the window or sleep. It may be important for you to get out of your seat freely at any time.
5. Please note that numbers and letters that indicate places can be written in both Cyrillic and Latin and the place can have a different arrangement depending on this.
6. Try to buy tickets for freer flights. Usually planes are loaded on Friday and weekends, and in time - morning and evening flights. If you want to choose comfortable seats for yourself, try to plan your trip in advance and take tickets from Monday to Thursday for flights that leave at lunchtime or 2-3 hours later.
7. In order to choose good places, you need to consider the direction of the flight. For example, if you are flying from North to South in the morning, then the sun will be on the left side. If you were flying in the opposite direction, to the North, then the sun would be on the right.

What to do if you managed to buy only an inconvenient place

Make sure to arrive at the airport on time for check-in and boarding. Then you will have a few minutes after landing to take a more convenient place, suddenly this will be among the free. Do not ask permission from the flight attendant, change seats yourself. When the landing is complete and the plane starts to climb, it will be impossible to change lanes. When the liner has already gained altitude and it will be allowed to get up, it may turn out that these seats are already occupied by more efficient passengers. In any case, you should not be upset, since you will always have time to take your purchased seat.