How to Choose the Right Seat for Your Travel Situation
Published by FlyingWith3 min readSources checked
Airline and government rules change. Check your airline's current rules before you travel.
FlyingWith editorial team
How we check our sourcesQuick answer
Choose by situation: an aisle near the front for quick access, a window to sleep, and for mobility needs an aisle seat with a movable armrest. U.S. rules require those on at least half of the aisle seats in eligible rows of aircraft with 30 or more seats.
Scope: General seat-selection advice for any airline. The official rules quoted are U.S. regulations (14 CFR) and U.S. DOT guidance; other countries' rules, and each airline's aircraft and seat maps, differ.
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There's no single best seat on a plane. It depends on the trip. A window seat that suits a solo overnight flight is a poor fit with a toddler who needs the bathroom often. Here's how to think about it by situation. Seat fees, seat maps and aircraft vary by airline, so check the details for your flight.
Part of: Flying with a Baby, Flying Solo, Flying with Mobility Needs, Flying with Anxiety, Flying for Business
What changes by airline
- Seat-selection fees and seat maps
- Whether your aircraft has bassinets, and their size and weight limits
- Where power outlets and Wi-Fi are available
- Which seats have movable aisle armrests
General advice: applies wherever you fly
Flying with a baby or toddler
Some airlines offer bassinets for infants on some aircraft, usually at bulkhead rows. Spaces are limited and each airline sets its own size and weight limits, so request one directly with the airline as early as you can and ask for confirmation.
For toddlers, a parent beside the aisle can make bathroom trips easier when the seat belt sign is off. Keep the child clear of passing carts; the AAP recommends a window position for an infant restraint so it does not block an exit. For family seating rules and the AAP source, see the guide to flying with kids.
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General advice: applies wherever you fly
Flying solo
An aisle seat near the front makes boarding, getting off and bathroom trips quicker. If you want to sleep, a window seat gives you something to lean on and nobody climbing past you.
Rows next to galleys and lavatories usually have more noise and foot traffic. The seat map shows where they are.
General advice: applies wherever you fly
Flying with a mobility need
An aisle seat near the front can shorten the distance you travel in an aisle chair. Seat maps often don't show whether an aisle armrest lifts, which matters for a side transfer, so ask the airline to confirm before you choose.
Official rules: United States (14 CFR and DOT)
Armrests, service animals and exit rows
U.S. rules (14 CFR 382.61) require carriers to equip aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats with movable aisle armrests on at least half of the aisle seats in rows where passengers with mobility impairments are permitted to sit. Ask the airline to assign you one.
The U.S. Department of Transportation says a service animal must be permitted to travel with you in the space under the seat in front of you; certain small service animals may sit on your lap if that can be done safely. The animal can't block an aisle or access to an emergency exit, and the airline isn't required to upgrade you to another class to make room.
For exit rows, airlines must assess whether each passenger can perform the emergency functions required (14 CFR 121.585). They may not seat someone there who likely lacks the mobility, strength or dexterity needed, who is under 15, or who can't read and understand the evacuation instructions, among other conditions.
General advice: applies wherever you fly
Flying with anxiety
Some anxious flyers prefer an aisle seat so they aren't boxed in, or a seat near the wings. The pre-flight checklist for nervous flyers has more on preparing for the flight itself.
General advice: applies wherever you fly
Flying for work
Power outlets, Wi-Fi and tray-table size vary by aircraft and seat. Check the airline's seat map or aircraft information for your specific flight before you choose.
On an overnight flight where you need to arrive rested, a window seat lets you control the shade and avoid being disturbed by people getting up.
General advice: applies wherever you fly
A quick decision framework
Ask three questions before you pick. What do I need quick access to: the bathroom, the overhead bin, the aisle? Do I want to be left alone? And what can't I do without on this flight: legroom, a power outlet, a wall to sleep against? The answers change from trip to trip.
Official sources
Rules and amounts change. Before you rely on anything marked as an official rule, check the source. These are the official pages we used.
- 14 CFR 382.61: Movable aisle armrests · Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (U.S.)
- Service Animals · U.S. Department of Transportation
- 14 CFR 121.585: Exit seating · Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (U.S.)
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