Make sure you snag the perfect seat for your next flight.
Let’s face it. No one wants to be stuck in the middle seat, in the middle row, near the toilets.
From getting a bit of extra legroom to sitting far away from crying babies, here are eight handy tips that can help make your next flight a lot more comfortable.
1. Always check the seat map.
Depending on the model and layout of the plane you’re flying, what you think is an aisle seat might end up being squeezed between two passengers. And on planes that narrow toward the back, the letters allocated to each seat may change. It’s a good idea to check the seat map carefully when choosing your seat to avoid disappointment.
2. Check your plane on SeatGuru
Like TripAdvisor for airplane seats, SeatGuru offers reviews of seats on most major airlines. It provides seat maps (such as the one pictured below) and you can hover over each allocated seat and read notes about them. The site will usually note things like extra legroom and proximity to the bathrooms.
Images: SeatGuru
3. See if there's an app for that.
There are a few apps out there that can help you trade or swap with other passengers to get better seats. Others can alert you when seats have become available on your flight.
- Although only available for U.S. users at the moment, Seateroo lets you swap seats with other passengers on your flight for a negotiated price of $5 or more. The app charges a 15% fee (at the seller’s expense).
- Set up alerts on SeatAlerts by Expert Flyer and you can find out when a preferred seat becomes available on your upcoming flight. You’ll then be able to change your allocated seat to the one you prefer.
4. Get discounted seat upgrades, guaranteed empty seats next to you.
Working with select airlines, Optiontown allows passengers who have already booked their tickets to pay as little as a quarter of the regular price for extra baggage or a seat upgrade. It also offers an option if you want to pay to have an empty seat next to you.
You just need to enter your airline, reservation number and name to see what options are available. If you choose to book one, you’ll get confirmation before you take off. If you can’t get your upgrade, you’ll get your money (minus an admin fee) back.
5. Suck it up and pay to choose your seat, and be ready to cough up for the extra legroom.
Sometimes the nominal fee for a few inches of extra legroom can be worth it – especially if you’re tall or are on a long-haul flight. For longer flights, Tigerair charges $25 each way, Jetstar charges $47 each way, Virgin Australia charges $50 each way and Qantas charges $60 each way.
6. Make the most of your online check-in window.
If you don’t want to pay for the privilege of a good seat, it’s a good idea to make note of when your flight’s online check-in opens. The earlier you check in for your flight, the sooner you’ll have your assigned seat.
7. See if there’s a designated quiet area
Budget airline competitors Scoot and AirAsia X both offer a separate, child-free section. This option is ideal for those trying to catch some sleep without having to worry about being seated next to a crying infant.
- ScootinSilence, which is located in rows 21 to 25, offers more than just quiet seating for those aged 12 and older. Passengers will also be sitting closer to the front of the plane and a 35” seat pitch (four inches more than a standard economy seat). The airline charges $39 (up from the standard $12) to sit in this area.
- AirAsia X’s Quiet Zone is available for passengers aged 10 and older. It’s located just after the Premium Flatbed cabin from ros 7-14 and offers minimal noise, soft lighting and faster meal delivery. AirAsia X charges a fee for this option based on your flight, with prices for standard seats staring from MYR69 (around AUD$23).
8. Try just being nice.
It could be worth asking politely at check-in and again at the gate whether there are any better seats available, or if there are spots still available in the exit row. While it’s unlikely you’ll get an upgrade to first class, it’s certainly worth a try.
Great tips, but where should I sit on the plane?
Believe it or not, each part of the plane does have its benefits. Depending on what your personal needs are when you're flying, here are a few things you might want to consider.
For peace and quiet: Choose a seat in a quiet zone
As noted above, some airlines let you pay extra to sit in a designated quiet zone. It’s ideal if you’re hoping to sleep during the flight.
For less turbulence: Choose a seat over the wing.
If you’re worried about a turbulent flight, sitting above a wing tends to reduce the amount of movement you feel.
For a short connection or a quicker exit: Choose a seat close to the front door.
Not all flights will disembark using both the front and rear doors. So if you need to get off the plane quicker, choose a seat toward the front of the plane, or as close to it as your ticket class will allow.
For more space: Choose a seat near the back of the plane.
If a roomier flight is your main priority, choose a seat toward the back. Flights tend to fill up from front to back, so selecting a set at the back gives you a higher chance of having an empty seat next to you – or a whole row if you’re really lucky.
Now that you know how to pick the perfect seat for your next flight, it's time to book:
Air New Zealand - Tasman
New Zealand flights from $148 each way
Valid for travel on select dates from September - December 2018 and January - May 2019. Destinations include Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington. Sample fare is from Sydney-Christchurch.
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Chile flights from $904 return
Valid for travel from May - June 2019. Sample fare is Sydney-Santiago.
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Ireland flights from $815 return
Valid for travel from September - October 2018. Sample fare is Perth-Dublin.
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Flight Centre - International
Round-the-world fares from $1,179
Valid for travel between 25 February - 11 April 2019. Sample fare is Melbourne-London-Los Angeles-Hong Kong.
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Flight Centre - International
Europe from $995 return with Singapore Airlines
Valid for travel from 8 October - 22 November 2018, 25 February - 4 April 2019 and 29 April - 15 June 2019. Destinations include Copenhagen, London, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Manchester, Amsterdam and Istanbul. Sample fare is Canberra-Amsterdam.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
10% off select domestic and international flights
Valid on select flights booked with Virgin Australia. Simply enter the code to redeem offer. T&Cs apply.
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STA Travel
London flights from $995 return
Valid for travel from 27 September - 30 November 2018. Sample fare is Sydney-London with Malaysia Airlines.
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STA Travel
Tokyo flights from $545 return
Valid for travel until 30 November 2018. Sample fare is Perth-Tokyo with Malaysia Airlines.
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Air New Zealand - Longhaul
$100 off skycouches to North or South America
Valid from 1 September - 30 November 2018 , 1 February - 31 March 2019 and 19 April - 27 June 2019 when booking for two or more people. Destinations include Los Angeles, Vancouver and Buenos Aires.
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Emirates
Europe flights from $1,129 return
Valid for travel from 27 September - 30 November 2018 and 14-31 January 2019. Destinations include London, Barcelona, Athens, Rome, Madrid and more. Sample fare is Perth-Istanbul.
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Flight Finder
Domestic flights from $62.95 each way
Valid for travel from 16 October - 17 December 2018 with Tigerair. Sample fare is Gold Coast-Sydney.
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Flight Centre - International
Paris flights from $1,119 return with Singapore Airlines
Valid for travel from 8 October - 22 November, 25 February - 4 April 2019 and 29 April - 15 June 2019. Sample fare is Perth-Paris.
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Flight Centre - International
New York flights from $1,099 return
Valid for travel from 21 January - 4 April 2019 and 22 April - 20 June 2019. Sample fare Sydney-New York.
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Flight Centre - International
London flights from $989 return
Valid for travel from 1 October - 22 November and 1 February - 30 March 2019. Sample fare is Melbourne-London.
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Flight Centre - International
Hawaii flights from $546 return
Valid for travel from 1-30 November 2018. Sample fare is Sydney-Hawaii.
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Flight Centre - International
Fiji flights from $515 return
Valid for travel from 15 February - 25 March 2019. Sample fare is Sydney-Fiji.
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STA Travel
South America flights from $949 return with Qantas
Valid for travel until 30 November 2018. Destinations include Santiago, Buenos Aires and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Santiago.
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Flight Centre - International
Bangkok flights from $386 return
Valid for travel from 31 January - 31 May 2019. Sample fare is Darwin-Bangkok.
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Flight Centre - International
Bali flights from $412 return
Valid for travel from 1-28 February 2019. Sample fare is Melbourne-Bali.
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STA Travel
Europe flights from $799 return
Valid for travel from 3 October - 15 December 2018. Destinations include Barcelona, Athens, Amsterdam, Istanbul and more. Sample fare is Melbourne-Warsaw.
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Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaii flights from $855 return
Valid for travel from 26 October - 3 December 2018, 26 January - 1 April 2019 and 6 May - 16 June 2019. Sample fare is Brisbane-Honolulu.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
New Zealand flights from $209 each way
Valid for travel from 31 October - 12 December 2018, 30 January - 27 March 2019 and 7-30 May 2019. Destinations include Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and Dunedin. Sample fare is Brisbane-Christchurch.
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Flight Finder
Australia-wide flights from $49 each way
Valid for travel from September - December 2018 with Jetstar. Sample fare is Melbourne-Adelaide.
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STA Travel
New York flights from $899 return
Valid for travel between 19 January - 16 February 2019. Sample fare is Perth-New York.
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Flight Centre - International
Canada flights from $1,589 return
Valid for travel from August 2018 - June 2019. Sample fare is Sydney-Vancouver.
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Budget Air
$20 off Canada flights
Valid on all dates. Destinations include Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and more. T&Cs apply.
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Sri Lanka flights from $377 return
Valid for travel from 1-31 March 2019. Sample fare is Melbourne-Colombo.
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Thailand flights from $307 return
Valid for travel from 1 October - 30 November 2018. Sample fare is Perth-Bangkok. Destinations include Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai and more.
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Philippines flights from $249 return
Valid for travel from 1 November - 31 December 2018. Sample fare is Melbourne-Manila. Destinations include Cebu, Angeles, Puerto Princesa, Davao and more.
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Singapore flights from $235 return
Valid for travel from 1-30 November 2018. Sample fare is Darwin-Singapore.
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Brazil flights from $924 return
Valid for travel from August - November 2018. Sample fare is Sydney-Sao Paolo.
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Iceland flights from $1,144 return
Valid for travel from 1 October - 30 November 2018. Sample fare is Perth-Reykjavik.
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Skiddoo
Australia-wide flights from $113 return
Valid for travel between August - October 2018 and February 2019. Sample fare is Melbourne-Hobart. Destinations include Gold Coast, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, Sydney, Darwin and more.
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Cathay Pacific
Asia flights from $665 return
Valid for travel from 9 August 2018 - 31 May 2019. Destinations include Osaka, Tokyo, Manila, Shanghai, Taipei and more. Sample fare is Brisbane-Cebu.
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Skiddoo
International flights from $242 return
Valid for travel on select dates. Sample fare is Perth-Bali. Destinations include London, Dublin, Rome, Seoul, Los Angeles, Langkawi, Colombo, Singapore and more.
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Skiddoo
Business class fare to Korea from $2,425 return
Valid for travel between October - November 2018 with Asiana Airlines. Sample fare is Sydney-Seoul. Destinations include Jeju Island and Busan.
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Flight Centre - International
Los Angeles flights from $979 return
Valid for travel from 1 February - 30 March 2019. Sample fare is Sydney-Los Angeles.
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Air New Zealand - Pacific Islands
Norfolk Island flights $278 each way
Valid for travel on select dates from September - December 2018. Sample fare is Brisbane-Norfolk Island.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Australia-wide flights from $89 each way
Valid for travel from 12 August - 20 September 2018, 17 October - 12 December 2018 and 30 January - 27 June 2019. Sample fare is Ballina-Sydney.
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Flight Finder
New Caledonia flights from $270 each way
Valid for travel from 1 September 2018 - 31 May 2019. Sample fare is Sydney-Noumea.
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I Want That Flight
Australia-wide flights from $95 return
Valid on select flights from August - November 2018 with Tigerair. Sample fare is Melbourne-Hobart. Other destinations include Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Gold Coast and Perth.
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Cathay Pacific
Hong Kong flights from $704 return
Valid for travel until 30 June 2019. Sample fare is Melbourne-Hong Kong.
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Budget Air
$20 off USA flights
Valid on all dates. Destinations include Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas and more. T&Cs apply.
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Air New Zealand - Longhaul
North America flights from $976 return
Valid for travel from 1 February - 27 June 2019. Destinations include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Vancouver. Sample fare is Sydney-Los Angeles.
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STA Travel
New Zealand flights from $299 return
Valid for travel until 31 December 2018, including Christmas. Sample fare is Melbourne-Christchurch with Air New Zealand.
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British Airways
UK flights from $1,170 return
Valid for travel until October 2018. Destinations include London and Edinburgh. Sample fare is for Sydney-London.
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STA Travel
International flights from $363 return with Air New Zealand
Valid for travel until December 2018. Sample fare is Melbourne-Auckland. Destinations include Los Angeles, San Francisco and more.
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Flight Centre - International
Multi-stop flights from $1,415
Valid for travel on 25 April to 30 June 2019. Sample fare is Melbourne-Santiago-Lima-Buenos Aires.
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Flight Centre - International
Asia flights from $425 return with Singapore Airlines
Valid for travel from 1-20 September 2018, 8 October - 30 November 2018, 7 January - 4 April 2019 and 29 April - 15 June 2019. Destinations include Phuket, Singapore, Manila, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City and more. Sample fare is Darwin-Singapore.
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Cathay Pacific
Premium economy flights from $1,905 return
Valid for travel until 30 June 2019. Sample fare is Perth-Tokyo. Booking must be made 50 days in advance. Destinations include New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Vancouver, Toronto, China, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Amsterdam, Barcelona and more.
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Budget Air
$10 off your first booking
Valid only on bookings for flights from Australia. T&Cs apply.
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Cathay Pacific
Up to 25% off business class flights
Valid for travel on select dates. Bookings must be made 90 days prior flight. Destinations include Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Taipei, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Manchester, Dublin and more. T&C's apply.
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Lufthansa
Europe flights from $1,510 return
Valid for travel on select dates. Destinations include London, Rome, Paris, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Milan, Madrid and more. Sample fare is Perth-Barcelona.
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Air New Zealand - Pacific Islands
Cook Islands flights from $269 each way
Valid for travel on select dates from May - October 2018. Sample fare is Sydney-Rarotonga.
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Skiddoo
$25 flight voucher
Book your hotel with Skiddoo and get $25 flight voucher to spend on your next flight. T&Cs apply.
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LookUpFare
Flights under $99
Get instant $10 off on your flights when you book with LookUpFare. Destinations include Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas and more. T&Cs apply.
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STA Travel
Full-service Asia flights from $379 return
Valid for travel on select dates until December 2018. Sample fare is Melbourne-Bali. Destinations include Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore and more.
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LookUpFare
$120 off first class seats
Valid for travel on select dates. Destinations include San Francisco, Chicago, London, Dubai, Venice and more. T&C's apply.
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ISIC Card
Up to 40% off flights
Valid on select dates. T&C's apply.
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Kiwi.com
Bali flights from $156 return
Valid on select dates departing from Perth.
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Flight Centre
Free booking fees every Friday
Valid on all flights booked before midnight on Fridays.
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Expedia.com.au
Hong Kong from $504 return with Philippine Airlines
Valid select days in May and June. Sample fares include Sydney-Hong Kong for $512 return and Melbourne-Hong Kong for $529 return.
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STA Travel
Lay-By Flights: only $99 deposit to reserve
Reserve your lay-by flights now for only $99 deposit and pay the remaining balance until 8 weeks before your departure date. Only available on STA Travel exclusive tickets. See website for complete details. T&Cs apply.
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Etihad Airways Australia
Europe flights from $1,878 return
Valid for travel until 31 December 2018. Destinations include Rome, Paris, Dublin, London and more. Sample fare is Perth-Amsterdam.
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Feature image: Etihad
Emirates has 3 tiers of economy fares, Saver,Flex and Flexplus. The website shows the benefits / services provided for each tier. For example, baggage allowance, miles earned and miles required to obtain an upgrade. However it does not say whether the higher tiered (more expensive) fare gives one a better chance of obtaining miles / points upgrade.
Does a Flexplus fare improve chances of getting a point/ miles upgrade to business class?
Hi John,
Thanks for reaching out to finder. I hope all is good on your end.
Yes, there is an advantage because you need fewer Miles to upgrade a Flex Plus fare compared to a Saver fare. Flex Plus fares in Economy Class and Business Class can be upgraded at any time before departure based on availability whereas special fares (their most affordable fares) are not eligible for upgrades. Economy Class Saver fares can be only be upgraded within 48 hours prior to departure (before online check-in).
Please do note that tickets eligible for upgrades cannot be upgraded later than six hours before departure. You may also review the Fare Conditions and applicable restrictions at the time of booking.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Judith