How to Find Your Airplane Seat Before You Fly

Seat Information Websites

There are two main sites that you can use to get airline seat information in advance of your flight: SeatGuru and SeatLink. Both work very similarly and make it easy to find your seat on a plane.

SeatGuru shows you airplane seat maps so you can find out whether your seat is over a wing or next to the toilets. Basically, it’s a site that gives advice on which plane seats people should try to get or avoid.

SeatLink is better if you don’t know your aircraft types. You can just list your city, airline, and dates and it will bring up the flights and equipment for that day. You can also search by flight number (SeatGuru does this too but SeatLink’s is sleeker).

If you dislike your seat assignment after checking your placement with one of the websites, change your seat by logging in to the airline’s website. Keep in mind that you’ll likely have to pay to move to more desirable seats, such as the ones with extra legroom. 

Key to Plane Lavatories, Exits, Galleys, Laptop Plugin Ports

Once you have the seating chart, scan the plane’s interior and find lavatories, exits, galleys (kitchen areas), laptop plugin ports, and desirable seats.

Lavatories

You might not want to sit next to a bathroom. But, if you are not feeling well or have a tendency to get airsick, then proximity to a bathroom might be important.

Exit Row

An exit door in your row is not a bad thing; it means more legroom because of the space required for the door. It also means you may not get a window view at your elbow (since the wing is there), that you can’t put anything on the floor, and that the overhead storage space may be limited.

Galleys

Sitting near the galley (the airplane’s kitchen area) does not necessarily mean that you are among the first to get in-flight drinks and food. Flight attendants might cart their wares several rows back and you might wind up being among the last to be served, as well as being close to the kitchen noise and smells.

Laptop Ports

You may want to recheck your travel notes while you’re in the air or you might have some work to finish up on your laptop. If this sounds like you, then a laptop port or plug-in for your devices might be important to have. 

Seat Key

Seats themselves are colored green (good), yellow (something’s up with this seat), or red (yuck).

Make a Change if You Want

Once you’ve decided on a seat that looks perfect for you, log in to your online booking, check out the available seats on the flight, and choose a new one (depending on your ticket type or the airline, you may have to pay). 

It can seem like a time-consuming process, but taking a few extra minutes out of the booking process to research what might be in store for you on the flight can make all the difference. By choosing your own seat, you’re also more likely to remember your flight seat number.