But as someone who flies thousands of miles a year, mostly in economy, to destinations close to home like Norfolk, Virginia, and even as far as Dubai, seat selection is just as important as where you travel.
I don’t expect it to have many supporters, but it might be better to sit in the back of the plane than in the front of economy.
One of the biggest complaints about sitting in the last row is the proximity to the restrooms, but that’s not an issue for me. I drink a lot of water on planes to prevent dehydration, so I end up using the bathroom several times even on short flights. Also, bad odors coming from the toilet can be easily dealt with by wearing a mask or having the flight attendant change your mask.
It’s no surprise that many travelers book near the front to get off the plane first, but I’m rarely in a hurry to get off the plane unless I have a connection. I also found that airlines generally don’t charge for backseat seating, unlike exit rows on some U.S. airline routes that can cost nearly $100.
I mostly book last-row seats on short- and medium-haul flights, such as from my home in New York to Miami or Los Angeles, but I’m not opposed to doing so on long-haul flights. In fact, some of the best seats on long-haul flights are in the back.
Perhaps the best example is Singapore Airlines’ longest flight in the world, which took a whopping 18 hours and 50 minutes non-stop from New York.
Singapore operates all-business and premium economy Airbus A350-900 ultra-long-range jets on this route. There are only 94 premium economy seats, which is very different from other long-haul flights where as many as 300 seats are located behind the business class curtain. Most of the premium economy sections have a 2-4-2 configuration, with his two seats on either side of the fuselage and his four seats in the middle.
Rows 40 to 42 have the coveted solo seats, which allow you to enjoy the benefits of flying for most of the day without having anyone next to you. But even if the solo seat in row 42 is probably the best premium economy seat in the company. SeatGuru disagrees — Because there are no seats in the back. This means travelers can comfortably recline without disturbing the passengers behind them (seat pitch is 38 inches).
On short-haul flights, booking a rear seat allows you to recline without bumping into the lap of the passenger behind you (albeit with some limitations), leading to passive-aggressive complaints or, worse, breaking your laptop or tablet. can be avoided.
Still, I seem to be the outlier here. Many flight attendants and frequent fliers scoff at the idea of volunteering (and sometimes paying) to sit in the back seat. I spoke to Dave, a former flight attendant for a major U.S. airline, about the back seat of a plane (Dave requested that only his first name be used in order to speak candidly).
He said there was “no real benefit” to sitting in the back of a plane.
Dave said restrooms tend to be in the rear, and galleys on many short- and medium-range jets are also usually in the rear. But his biggest disappointment, Dave said, is that the further you get from the wing, the more turbulence you feel.
Even if you know these facts are true, I still have a seat reserved somewhere in the last two rows. Even if it means traveling in and out of the bathroom, it’s worth it to lie back and relax.
Victoria M. Walker is a travel writer based in Brooklyn. You can follow her on Twitter. @vicki.