Steve Hart: How to get the best spot on an aircraft

COMMENT

Art and a little skill, not to mention luck, are needed to get a good seat on an aircraft. As we know, not all seats are created equal.

So, is it possible to get a seat that has legroom, a good view, away from noisy children, the toilet and the galley? Yes. But only if you are the pilot - otherwise, probably not.

Almost like the choice between chicken and fish, most passengers have to choose between legroom and a view out the window.

Travel.co.nz's Roger Hawkins says people wanting plenty of space usually ask for the bulkhead seat. But he warns that airlines often put children there because that's where the cradles are stored.

The exit row seats are good, aren't they?

"Yes and no," says Hawkins. "Often the doors in that area are bulky and can restrict the person sitting in the window seat. Most airlines will not pre-allocate these rows as they prefer to keep them free if possible."

If you really want to be able to stretch your legs, ask for an aisle seat. You can stretch out into the corridor and you won't need to climb over the person sleeping next to you to visit the toilet, take a stroll (and trip over other people stretching their legs out), talk with friends or get some water.

Be careful when asking for a window seat - mean-minded check-in staff have been known to purposely put passengers over a wing.

"If you ask for a window seat, ensure it is forward or behind the wing area - the wing will block the view of the ground," says Hawkins.

If you want to get food and drinks first, ask for a seat near the galley (often at the front of the cabin). People there generally get served at the start of the trolley run.

Avoid seats at the rear because this is where the toilets are. It can get busy with people queuing to spend a penny and the odour can sometimes be less than savoury on a long flight. And if you want to sleep, you will be disturbed.

The best advice Hawkins offers is to secure aisle seating in the middle of a section if you want to get up and about, or window seating, rear or forward of the wings, if you want a view and to be away from people traffic.

Hawkins says his personal favourite is a rear window seat. "Often the rear row is made up of pairs of seats so you are never more than one seat from an aisle.

"I try to board early and settle in. The only real downside is traffic for the toilets, and rear galleys can be quite noisy."

It's a good idea to get a seating plan of the aircraft, then you can select seats with confidence. Once you've decided which seat you want, how do you get it?

"Request your preference when you book and ensure that the request is entered into the booking system," says Hawkins.

"But remember it is generally a request not a guarantee - airlines rarely promise anything when it comes to seating because there are so many other factors taken into account during the check-in process."

So, having made your request you need to check in early to stake your claim. When you check in, you must ask for the seat you requested.

"If you are travelling with other people, let your travel agent know - as they can tell the airline of the TCP (total complete party) and try to seat people travelling together in the same area."

When checking in, be friendly, advises Hawkins. If staff can't help that's often because it's out of their hands by then.

If you check in late you will always get what is left and sometimes this can mean your group being split up across the aircraft. Airlines will rarely move customers to help a group checking in late.

* Air New Zealand and Qantas are appealing to the High Court against the New Zealand Commerce Commission's decision to refuse their merger plans.

The companies have every right to appeal, but nothing has changed since the commission's decision in October when it ruled against the proposed alliance saying it would be anti-competitive.

I for one still believe that if the company's merge then the New Zealand public will be worse off as a result.