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It only takes one flight in a claustrophobic middle seat to think: Welp, I never want to do this again.
Luckily, you may never have to. By following this step-by-step, you’ll learn the easiest way to score a better, comfier seat on each of your future flights — in most cases, without having to pay extra.
From checking SeatGuru to chatting up the gate agent, scoring free upgrades to checking in early, here’s how to always get the best seat on a plane.
Erika Recommends
- SeatGuru
Free website that shows the best seats on your flight. - Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express
Includes priority boarding, free checked bag, and other Delta perks. - The New United℠ Explorer Card
Get two United Club passes per year, free checked bag, and priority boarding.
1. Determine Which Seat is Best For You
While the glorious exit row is certainly an upgrade for most travelers, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right seat for you every time.
Here are some alternatives to consider that might better meet your needs:
- Light sleepers: If you need shuteye on your flight, try to get a window seat near the middle or front of the plane so you won’t be interrupted and you’ll feel less turbulence.
- Tight connection: You’ll want to sit in an aisle seat as close to the door as possible.
- Travelers with kids: Families tend to prefer the back of the plane where there’s a higher likelihood of empty seats, better bathroom access, and more time to disembark.
- Travelers with infants: You might prefer a bulkhead seat upfront (i.e., one facing a wall instead of a seat) since some airlines offer complimentary bassinets for bulkhead passengers on international flights (Delta calls them SkyCots).
- Bathroom frequenters: You may want an aisle seat nearest to the back where the beverage cart is less likely to block you.
- Fear of flying: Seats towards the front or directly over the wings will have the least amount of turbulence and allow you to disembark faster.
- Tall travelers: Tall travelers may prefer a bulkhead, exit row, or aisle seat. My personal favorite (being 6’3) is a bulkhead seat for the peace of mind that nobody in front of me will lean their seat back.
Once you have an idea of which type of seat might work best, let’s visit SeatGuru.
2. Check SeatGuru for the Best and Worst Seats
SeatGuru is a free website that shows you the best seats on a plane. I love it because it reveals which seats are better than you’d expect — but also those with serious hidden drawbacks.
To illustrate, I input my upcoming flight to Miami, and SeatGuru found my plane (a Boeing 757-200) and warned me about a few seats. Specifically, 22F doesn’t have a window (despite being a window seat in Comfort+), and one of the bulkhead seats (19F) actually has less legroom because of a protruding exit door.
That would’ve been a bummer to discover in real-time!
Once you’ve cross-referenced your flight with SeatGuru to filter out the bad seats, let’s go ahead and pick out some good seats.
3. Try to Pick Decent Seats Immediately After Booking
This may sound obvious, but you should always try choosing decent seats as soon as you book your flight.
Unless you choose a discounted class (e.g,. Delta Basic Economy) or an airline (e.g., Southwest) with no assigned seating, most airlines will let you choose your seat well before check-in time. Trouble is, they’re not always transparent about when this is an option, or how to do it.
To illustrate, I recently booked flights to Paris via Chase TravelSM, and despite choosing Main Cabin, Chase told me I’d be unable to pick my seats with an award ticket.
What it meant to say is that I’d be unable to choose seats from Chase TravelSM. I had to go directly to Air France/KLM’s website, enter my trip information, and handpick our seats from there.
So don’t wait until check-in to book your seats, or you may miss out on a valuable hidden perk of your fare class.
4. Consider Upgrading in Advance
Once you’ve locked in some decent free seats, you might consider upgrading to something even better.
Naturally, the first thing we’re going to do is try to get you into first class for free. Here’s a quick how-to:
- Book a weird flight time
- Piggyback on your friend or family member’s status
- Spend (or convert) your credit card points
- Ask a gate agent (early and politely)
- Ask a flight attendant (the right way)
You can also check if your existing airline status entitles you to free upgrades, and when.
For example, Delta Gold Medallion members are entitled to complimentary upgrades as early as 72 hours prior to departure, so it might be worth waiting until check-in to see if you get moved up for free.
Lastly, there are numerous credit cards out there that can help you upgrade for “free.”
Cards like the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, and The New United℠ Explorer Card come with big welcome offers and lucrative rewards that can help you cover the cost of several flights or numerous upgrades.
COMPARE: Best Airline Credit Cards
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express
Rewards Rate
- 2x miles on Delta purchases
- 2x miles at U.S. grocery stores
- 2x miles at restaurants worldwide and on U.S. takeout and delivery
- 1x miles on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Annual Fee
$0 for the first year, then $150 (rates and fees)
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 2x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental purchases
- 2x points on local transit, rideshare, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming
- 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$149
The New United℠ Explorer Card
Rewards Rate
- 2x miles on United® purchases, dining and hotel stays
- 1x mile on everything else
Welcome Offer
Limited-Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Annual Fee
$150 ($0 in your first year)
5. Check In ASAP
Checking in precisely 24 hours before your flight (basically ASAP) costs nothing and can come with a wealth of benefits.
To start, airlines typically assign seats on a first-come, first-served basis. So if you check in ASAP on Southwest, you may get placed in boarding group A versus all the way back in C.
The same is generally true for basic economy passengers without pre-assigned seating. If you check in early, Delta, United, etc., are more likely to put you in a “desirable” seat near the front. Folks who wait generally end up in a dreaded middle seat in the rear of the plane.
If you have status (e.g., Delta Gold Medallion), checking in early can also put you first in line for an upgrade over other Gold Medallion travelers.
Lastly, checking in early simply gives you one less thing to do at the airport. Some airlines won’t even let you check in at the last minute. United, for example, warns that it may “deny service” for passengers trying to check in within 60 minutes of an international flight.
6. Ask the Gate Agent Nicely for an Upgrade
This has worked less and less for me in recent years, but I’d say it still works about 10% of the time. Once you reach your gate, simply approach the gate agent with a smile, get their name from their nametag, and say:
“Hi, Kerry! I’m currently in seat [32F] and was wondering if you might be able to move me to a more comfortable seat.”
Most of the time, they’ll say “sorry” or “it’s full” — or they’ll ask me to pay the normal rate for a better seat — but one time out of 10, they’ll just hand me a better ticket with a smile.
RELATED: How To Avoid Hidden Fees When Traveling
7. Ask a Flight Attendant for a Better Seat
Finally, the quest for a better seat doesn’t have to end even as the boarding door closes.
According to scattered reports from real flight attendants, it’s entirely possible to change seats once you’re on the plane. The key to success is to do it the right way:
- Find a specific seat that’s better than yours.
- Ask a flight attendant (who doesn’t look too busy) if it’s possible to change seats.
- Thank the flight attendant either way.
You might be tempted to just sneak over to the better seat, but there are numerous reasons why you shouldn’t. Aside from the obvious (it might be occupied), changing seats could upset the plane’s balance, throw off the flight attendants’ headcount, or antagonize fellow passengers.
“We know which seats are supposed to be occupied — as well as the name of each occupant — making it easy to detect seating infractions,” writes Elliot Hester, a flight attendant with 30+ years of experience. And if you move to an upgraded seat without paying, they’ll just give you a bill or ask you to leave.
“If the passenger refuses, he or she can be removed from the flight — by security personnel, if necessary.”
The good news is you shouldn’t need to steal seats in the first place if you follow this guide. By following these seven steps, you can ensure you’ll get the best possible seat on every future flight — in many cases, without having to pay a penny more.
FAQs About Getting Good Seats on a Plane
Which seats have the most legroom?
Aside from the obvious (first class), the economy seats with the most legroom are usually found in the exit row or the bulkhead row, which is the row directly behind a wall or divider between classes.
In my experience, many travelers ignore the bulkhead row because it has no under-seat storage, but if you don’t mind putting your things in the overhead, it’s an easy tradeoff for first class legroom.
Where should I sit to avoid turbulence?
Generally speaking, seats over the wings will feel the least amount of turbulence since you’ll be closer to the plane’s center of mass. Upfront is also good, but generally more expensive.
Try to avoid the back, since the tail tends to react the most to outside weather conditions.
How can I increase my chances of getting an empty seat next to me?
If you’re traveling with a companion, you can boost your chances of scoring an empty seat between you by booking both the window and aisle seats in a row towards the back. Even as the plane fills up, fellow passengers are less likely to book middle seats towards the back.
As a solo traveler, you can check the seat map just before or after boarding to see if an entire row remains open, and instantly rebook yourself.
TL;DR: Get the Best Seat on Your Next Flight
Getting the best seat on a plane starts with defining what’s “best” for you: maybe a bulkhead seat if you value legroom, a window seat over the wings if you want to sleep, etc. Then, filtering out bad seats via SeatGuru can prevent unpleasant surprises.
Finally, knowing your benefits, checking in 24 hours early, and simply (and politely) asking staff for an upgrade can all greatly increase your chances of landing in a better seat.
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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
