A few weeks back, we reviewed the different seating areas on the plane and their advantages and disadvantages. Now that you know where you want to sit, let’s clarify the next steps.

-For most bookings, you will have the option to select a seat at the time of booking (or at least an aisle/window preference). Note that this is usually a request only and, come day of travel, your seat could change due to a change in aircraft or at the airline’s discretion. In all my years of flying, I have rarely had an issue like this so don’t stress too much. When it comes to selecting your seat, a great site to utilize is SeatGuru.com. You first select your airline, then your aircraft type (found on your itinerary), and it will direct you to the best, and worst, seats on the plane.

-When you book, you may notice that you are unable to select some of the seats, especially those prime sections like exit rows and the front of the plane. Usually, they are not actually booked but instead are being held for passengers in the airline’s elite flyer program. Since many of these passengers (typically business travelers) book last minute, the airline usually holds them until the day of travel. What to do? Check in online as soon as the airline allows (usually 24 hours prior to departure) and see if anything has freed up. No luck? Ask the gate agent politely when you drop off luggage as these seats become available as the elite flyers are bumped to the first class cabin on the day of travel.

-The rules change when you fly internationally. I have seen everything from seat requests being taken ninety days prior to travel to absolutely no input from the passenger. Check the airline’s website prior to ticketing to confirm their policies. If you can put a request in at a certain interval before the flight, be sure to mark it on your calendar. For the airlines that do not take requests, your best bet is showing up early and being at the front of the check-in line. I once got to the airport 4 hours early in order to secure my exit row aisle seat on a flight to New Zealand. While I had a lot of time at the airport, at least I was comfortable for the 13 hour journey!

Do you have a tip for getting the best seat on the plane? Post it here to share with fellow DIWYY readers.

I take my airplane seating assignments very seriously. After all, I do a lot of “long-haul” travel where I am confined to a seat for 8+ hours. In today’s post, I will be defining the different seating options and their pluses and minuses. In a future post, I will follow-up with how to secure your optimal seat. After these two posts, you will be fully prepped to select the best seat in the plane for yourself!

Aisle Seats: People covet these seats for the freedom to get up as you please and the ability to turn the plane’s aisles into extra legroom (pending that the meal cart isn’t out!). While this is nice, you have to consider that you will typically have 1-2 other people next to you so you will need to get up to let them out (unless you’re the mean person I sat next to last year from Paris-Delhi who practically refused to let me out of my seat!). Additionally, one other downside is that you may occasionally get bumped by the beverage cart or a person walking by.

Window Seats:  Another popular seating selection, people opt for the window seat as you get something to lean on, the ability to sleep uninterrupted for extended periods of time, and a view! Downside is that it can be tricky to get out if your neighbors are sleeping.

Exit Rows: Tall people, rejoice! While you do get a few more inches of legroom, you also get the responsibility of potentially assisting the flight crew and sometimes less than optimal seats. You see, on most medium-sized planes in the US, there will be two rows of exit. The second row fully reclines but the first row typically has a very limited recline since the airline wants a clear path in the event of an emergency. Be sure to check with the airline directly to confirm their layout. Also, per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, you must be at least 15 years old to sit in these seats.

Bulkhead Rows: These seats are the ones that have a wall directly in front of them. In some cases, you get a little more legroom and your meal is usually one of the first out since you’re at the front of your seating section. While this seems great, consider that the tray table is usually in the arm of your chair (versus the back of the seat in front of you) so you can sometimes notice a very slight difference in the width of your seat. Also know that on long, international flights, many airlines have bassinets that plug into the wall for infants. So, if you’re not a fan of babies, you may want to avoid this child-friendly section!

Got a follow-up question? Send it to kristina@diwyy.com or post a comment here.