To be or not to be, that is… not a question anymore.
Aisle seat or window seat — now that is the question!
If you do ask Hamlet, or other people, where they prefer to sit on a plane, you’ll get
tons of different opinions.
But is there really some bottom line to this debate?
Well, let’s find out!
I’ll begin with window seats because, frankly, I prefer them myself.
The first and most obvious reason is, of course, the view.
I mean, what can be more beautiful than a city from a bird’s eye perspective?
Right: only a city from a bird’s eye perspective at sunset or sunrise.
And if you’re like me, and I understand if you hope you aren’t, then you understand
that you can only enjoy the magnificent view if there’s no head bobbing in front of you.
Looking outside just isn’t the same when you’re not next to the window, no compromise
here.
But there are other reasons you should choose to tuck yourself in the corner, and some would
probably call them even more plausible.
For example, if you’re a good sleeper, there’s nothing better than to take a window seat
on a long-haul flight.
When you’re at the wall, nobody will disturb you when going to the bathroom, and there’s
also a nice support to lean on if your neck is stiff from lying upright.
And although sleeping like this is still pretty uncomfortable, again, just imagine waking
up to an amazing view out the window!
Okay, you might not give a darn as to the view, and sleeping on an airplane might not
be an option for you.
But I say you should still consider taking the window seat because, if you’re in an
aisle seat, chances are, someone on a fully booked plane would eventually ask you to switch
seats with them to be with their companions or family.
And although flight attendants always ask passengers not to do that, you might be too
polite to refuse.
When you sit at the window, however, no one in their right mind would bother you with
such a request — come on, you’re sitting too far away and it’s way too inconvenient
to switch seats with you.
Isn’t it great?
In addition, sitting at the window gives you full control of the shade.
If you want to sleep but the light from outside is too bright for comfort, just roll it down!
And if you’d like to enjoy the view of the clouds or landscape below, feel free to open
it back.
No one will say a word to you, and that’s just perfect.
And finally, you get to be the first to take your seat when boarding.
That’s kinda small comfort, especially since you still might have to wait for your neighbors
to get off the seats they’ve already taken.
But hey, it’s your rightful place, no need to feel bad!
Alright, window seats covered, let’s hear the opponents of these arguments.
I must say they have valid points too!
Firstly, an aisle seat gives you plenty of leg room, which can’t be said about window
seats.
If you ever feel stiff from sitting with your legs bent at the knees, you can always stretch
them in the aisle.
And what’s more, even if the person in front of you decides, against all rules of politeness,
to recline in their seat, you’ll still have that extra space for your legs.
Say no to bruises on your knees!
On top of that, you are always free to go to the bathroom or just walk a little bit
to bring life back to your lower limbs.
You don’t have to ask anyone to let you out, hearing tut-tuts and other annoyed noises.
By the way, have you ever noticed how slow many people are to let you through?
I guess no one likes to be disturbed.
Do you try to vacate your seat quickly to get this over with sooner, or are you among
those slow-risers?
Let me know down in the comments!
Anyway, aisle seat isn’t only about leg room.
Let’s admit it, sometimes we forget things that could be useful during the flight in
our carry-on bags and stuff them into the overhead bins.
If you sit at the window and suddenly remember that you absolutely need that stuffed bear
of yours to calm you down, you’ll have a lot of trouble getting to it, while causing
not a little discomfort to your fellow passengers.
If you’re the closest to the aisle, however, you can just get up, fetch whatever you need
from above, and get back to your seat.
Sweet!
What’s more, aisle seats are strategically important: if you’re smart with your timing,
you just might be the first to get off the plane after it lands.
Sitting at the wall will, on the other hand, put you in the inferior position: you’ll
have to trust the person sitting near the aisle to be quick about his or her business
with the baggage and all the rest.
If they’re not, you might be stuck on the plane until everyone else leaves it.
And yet another reason for aisle seat lovers is that you can see the approaching food cart,
and you’ll always be the first to serve your in-flight meal.
It’s winning just a few seconds, but winning nevertheless.
Okay, I get it.
I guess the bottom line I wanted to find is this: either position has its own pros and
cons, so choosing where to sit depends on your preferences.
But what about the middle seat?
Doesn’t anyone want to take it?
Well, the short answer is no.
No one wants to be in the middle.
If you’re unlucky enough to find yourself there, I can only suggest bracing yourself.
You’re about to be crammed between two people with no access either to the window or the
aisle, no other headrest than your seat, and no extra leg room.
The only consolation here is the airplane etiquette: if your neighbors respect it, you’ll
have both armrests at your disposal.
Hardly an advantage, given the circumstances, but I guess every little thing counts, right?
Do you have your own arguments to add here?
Share them with me in the comment section!
All arguments aside, though, there are seats you should probably prefer over any other.
No, I’m not talking about business class.
In fact, quite the opposite: according to statistics, you’re better off sitting at
the tail of the plane!
The thing is, in an emergency situation, the tail has better chances of making it in one
piece, which might help keep you in one piece.
In other words, if you sit in the front, including business class, you’re less likely to survive
a plane crash.
So don’t feel bad if you only get a tail seat — you should consider yourself luckier
than most!
And by the way, there are a couple of seats on every plane that people tend to avoid,
and all of them are aisle seats.
I’m talking about those near emergency exits.
You see, when you take a seat closest to one of the exits, you automatically become responsible
for swift evacuation of passengers.
That’s the worst-case scenario, sure thing, but if there’s an emergency on board, the
flight attendants will approach you and give you instructions on what to do if they aren’t
able to perform their duties.
Finding yourself in some mishap at a dizzying altitude is bad enough, but hearing such words
from people who are responsible for your safety is even worse.
So if I were you, I’d refrain from taking such a seat.
And last but not least, my personal advice: if you have a choice in the matter, try to
avoid sitting near the aisle somewhere in the vicinity of the bathroom, both front and
tail.
First, closer to the end of your trip, especially if it’s a lengthy one, people will start
forming a line to do their business.
Eventually, you’ll find yourself in a constant company of passengers towering over you.
If you’re like me, I doubt you like that feeling.
And second, there’s, of course, the smell.
No matter how hygienic the airplane lavatory is, a fairly large number of people using
it every few minutes will make it fragrant enough for you to feel if you’re sitting
close.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
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