Being stuck in the middle of the row for a long-haul flight. The person in front reclining all the way and leaving you with next to no legroom, all while a child kicks the seat behind you. Needing the loo but not being able to get up because the drinks trolley is blocking your route.
These are just some of the small yet hellish experiences we face when flying.
So unless we can afford to fork out some serious cash for first or business class seats, most of us are hoping for a window or an aisle seat, ideally near the front where there’s more room to stretch your legs.
But this travel expert has a different suggestion entirely – and it’s one you probably think of as the worst place to sit on the plane.
According to seasoned traveller John Burfitt, the window seat at the back by the toilets is actually the best seat in the house, so you shouldn’t discount it on your next trip.
Writing for escape.com.au, the expert says that contrary to popular belief about this seating allocation being the worst, it has perks.
The travel journalist says he always books this position on the plane, after once enduring a flight where someone kicked the back of his seat on the entire journey.
After that, he vowed to never sit in front of anyone. So when he realised the last seat on the plane has a wall behind it, he decided that would be his chosen option from now on.
‘In that instant, I decided the back row would be the only place I would sit on a long flight from now on,’ John writes.
‘Sure enough, on my next flight, I booked into the back row of the cabin and, even better, my seat was the one right next to the window. As I nestled into that corner, I discovered what true airline love is about. I had just found the best seat on the plane.’
He claims there are other perks to the seat as well. Not only can you lean on the wall to have a snooze, you can recline your seat without worry, and sometimes there’s only two seats at the back, meaning you don’t need to put up with too many people.
As well as this, you’re likely to get served first when refreshments come out, plus you’re right near the loos and won’t have to dodge people standing in the aisle.
In terms of drawbacks, however, the seat at the back of the plane often doesn’t have a window. So if you’re hoping for cloudy in-flight pics, perhaps it’s not the seat for you.
Additionally, it may not one for you if you need to make a connecting flight, as you could end up having to wait for everyone else to file out before you can.
If you’re still not convinced though, there is the possibility that a flight attendant might take pity on you and offer you a free upgrade to the official best seats in the house – and while it might sound like a myth, it does happen.
Lisa Wilkes, who has been a flight attendant for 15 years, said a little gift can go a long way, commenting: ‘We see a lot of super difficult and mean passengers, so when someone does something nice, we really appreciate it. Often, a gift means you’ll get extra special service or even complimentary snacks.’
Something small, like snacks or a Starbucks voucher should do the trick, with passengers reporting that gift-giving has also resulted in them getting better seats or even a first class upgrade.
Other flight attendants echoed Lisa’s message, including ex-cabin crew member Daisy White, who previously shared flight secrets with Metro.co.uk.
She said be kind and you just might be able to get a seat upgrade while on board, as these can happen too rather than just during check-in.
‘Upgrades can happen onboard as most flights are under-booked and passengers can be shunted into other cabins,’ Daisy explained, adding that if you’re extra kind to staff (both at check-in and when boarding the plane) you may be one of the lucky few who get chosen.
Worth a try, right?
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