Aisle or Window?

DeathByCactus

DeathByCactus

Joined
Mar 23, 2006
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207
I am buying airline tickets to Atlanta for the upcoming blade show and I came across a good question... Aisle or window.... :confused:

Now I haven't flown on a commercial jet in a long time, mainly just on a private one. Which would have more space? Which would be less of a hassel? What were your most recent experiences in either the window or the aisle or both seats?
 
Windows have, obviously, the pleasant window. They also don't have two other people disrupting you every time they want to get up. Some find the window seat more sleepable. Boarding is easier in that once you are in your seat, yu won't have to be distrupted by others as they board.

The aisle is open to the aisle on one side which makes them seem less confined. But, you do have two other people who will disrupt you every time they want to get up. The aisle also suffers from being bumped by every person walking up and down the aisle, bar carts bumping your elbows, etc. Of course, if you like to get up during the flight, you'll have easier access to the aisle. Leaving at end of the flight will be easier and faster if you're on the aisle.


So, it's a tradeoff.

I usually try for an aisle seat because 8 have very broad shoulders and find the aisle seat less confining, but I do get very annoyed with all of the people walking up and down the aisles who seem to make a game out of trying to hit every shoulder or elbow along the way. But, I have a peculiar sleep disorder: as soon as I hear the words, "in the unlikely event of a water landing..." I go to sleep. There is something about airplanes that puts me to sleep. Then, the flight attendant slams the bar cart into my shoulder waking me up and inflicting a bruise that will take a week or three to heal.
 
Aisle.

DEFINITELY AISLE.

Even better would be an aisle seat in the row where the emergency wing exits doors are in, they give you an extra 6-8 inches of leg room.

The reason for an aisle seat is that it makes getting up and going to the bathroom easier, it gives you a chance to strech your legs out in the isle when there's no carts in the way, and it adds speed to your deplaning procedure, because you're not waiting for the other people to leave the row and get their belongings.

Spoken from someone who used to have to fly 150+ days a year for work.
 
Window.
1) Faster way out.
2) Not jabbed and poked by everyone passing by, food cart, etc.
3) Fun to flick boogers on the window for the next guy.
4) Noone is going to ask you to get up so they can "scootch" past you with their arse in your face.
5) A place for your head to lean when sleeping, also hides drool while sleeping.
 
Window.

Definitley window.

With a window seat you can keep an eye on the wing, and alert the air crew in case you see something out there messing with the engines. :D
 
rofl, well I chose window... I like to sleep on planes, but I don't wanna constantly have to get up and down for other people once I get comfy. Also since I technically have no where to be until the marrow I am not to worried about getting off really fast. + I am small so I figure that unless I get stuck next to Mr. Fast Food I think I should have enough room.

However, I did pick the emergency exit row :)
 
For me, it would depend:) If it was a domestic flight or around 4 hours air time, definitely a window, but that also depended on the plane and who is beside you:D :) If you fly business class, it doesn't matter, also depending on the plane. Anything past that, I would try to get an aisle seat but on the window side of the plane. Some of larger planes, IIRC, had 6 or 8 seats across the center aisle. 3 or 4 hours was about all I could bear without moving around too much when I was flying as a trainer in our Educational Services Group to site. International flights where you are up there 10 or more hours on a single leg of the flight can be brutal if you aren't moving around a lot. Aisles are nice - you can get out without waking anyone up or disturbing anyone. You know, sleeping thru the jet lag trick so it doesn't whack you the day after you land with a 10 or 14 hour time difference (like Calgary/Bangkok, Calgary/Daharan, Calgary/Melbourne). The ones that I'm not fond of are the seats that AREN'T window or aisle:) When I was in our Training group (5 years), I was probably to site at least 50% of my time. At the end of it before I transferred to our Research Division, I had 12 domestic and 3 International trips accumulated on my Air Miles between several airlines.

- gord
 
Exit row is excellent. Not only do you get more leg room, but on many planes the seat in front of you doesn't recline.

As for the risk of fat people, just make it clear that the arm rest stays DOWN. If necessary, we'll get one of the flight attendants to jump up and down on it until it's all the way there.

On one of my most recent Portland-DC direct 5 1/2 hour flights, the last passenger to board was a 500 pounder -- at least -- carrrying a huge "carry-on". Of course, it was a full flight. There was not a square inch of bin space left, but he claimed that his giant carry-on had his insulin in it so it he couldn't possibly check it (and, conveniently, he couldn't just take the insulin out and check the rest). The flight attendent then informed him that the only seat was a last-row, bulkhead, center seat. He started to protest about how he had an assigned... and the flight attendent informed him that he was late. Reserved seats are given up 15 minutes before departure, they were late to take off, he was delaying the whole plane, the pilot was furious, air traffic control was mad, they had just spent five minutes dealing with his luggage, it would take five more minutes to get him belted in, this is your seat so sit in it! And there he sat for five and one-half hours. Had he not been a guy, I would have kissed that flight attendent.
 
I remember now a couple of years ago when I was on standby on some flight. The gate agent had just called me up and was getting started on ticketing me for the last seat on the plane when this 500 pounder waddled up panting and trying to catch his breath and uttered something about, "I made it," as he thrust his ticket forward.

"I'm sorry, sir, this flight is full."

"But, but, but..."

"I'm sorry sir. If you'll wait just a moment while I finish with this gentleman, I'll ticket you on the next departure."

I leaned close to the agent and whispered, "But I'm just standby and he has a reservation..."

The agent very quietly and through his teeth replied, "Shut up. You're quick. It would take forever to board him. I do not want to delay this departure." And then, "Your ticket sir. Enjoy your flight."

I hurried down the ramp and into the last seat to avoid causing any delay.
 
Hi All-

Aisle seat without a doubt...everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

You can keep more junk like computers, newspapers, and magazines, out of your lap because it is simple to stand and retrieve them from the overhead compartment whenever you need them without inconveniencing anyone. I must exchange stuff out of my briefcase four or five times on a transcontinental flight.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Aisle for me ... I like to get up and stretch on any flight longer than 1 1/2 hours.
 
Ilovetoolsteel said:
I like the window seat for the simple fact that I enjoy looking out the window.
Click to expand...

same here, always the window seat even on a longer flight.

Flown on 8 - 10 hour flights quite a few times and never needed to get up to be honest. Just settle back and look out of the window, take some photos, listen to a walkman or something. I've never been unfortuante enough to be penned in by a 400lb monster though...
 
I like windows, too. I love watching the city below as the plane cruises out of the airport. When it gets to cruising altitude, I love to take in the landscapes below. There's something very evocative about it.
On a 10 hour +, international flight, however, an aisle does have some definite advantages... the worst seat is the one in the middle of the 8-seat row in the economy class on the jumbo jets! :thumbdn: :o
 
crucible said:
Even better would be an aisle seat in the row where the emergency wing exits doors are in, they give you an extra 6-8 inches of leg room.
Click to expand...
Yep. I definitely prefer the emergency seats. I like the window seat though; I don't fly much, so I'm still fascinated by seeing everything from the air -- even if it's over Kansas (marginally more interesting than driving through Kansas, but much shorter).
 
I prefer the window seat because the view outside is usually much more interesting than the view inside.
Be nice to gate agents. They deal with a lot of difficult people. My sister in law, who works for an airline that flies alot of 737's says that when they get fed up with a passenger they assign a seat in row 9, which I think is right in front of the emergency exits. They call it "no recline nine."
 
PFFT! They moved me back to the back of the plane.... :( I wanted the damn emerg exit row... lol. Oh well, atleast I still have my sleeping window.
 
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