Book seats with a view

Do you prefer the window seat on an airplane? Have you ever sat in your window seat only to be blinded by the sun and flew the whole trip with the window shade closed? With a little planning before your next trip, you can avoid the sun’s glare and get a view.

Your first step is considering the direction of travel and time of day of your flight and where the sun will be in the sky.  Then select a seat on the side of the plane away from the sun.  For example, if you are flying west/east in Canada on a summer day, the sun will be on the north side of the plane so choose a seat on the south side of the plane.  If you are flying east, sit on the right (south) side of the plane.  Conversely, if you are flying west, sit on the left (south) side of the plane.

If you are travelling north or south, the best side of the plane will depend on the time of day. For a morning flight, sit on the west side of the plane. For an afternoon flight, sit on the east side of the plane.

Stretch out at the back

For a long flight, sit near the back of the plane. The front of the plane fills up first as many people want to deplane first, but if you check luggage, getting off the plane first means you’ll just spend more time waiting for your luggage at the baggage carousel. If the plane is not full, you may get lucky and have an extra seat next to you to stretch out and have a sleep.

Free seat selection

Most airlines charge a fee for selecting a seat in advance so many people wait to book their seat when they check in. Most airlines provide online check-in 24 hours before the flight is scheduled to leave. You can set a reminder 24 hours before the flight to be one of the first people to select your seat for free.

If you are travelling with children, some airlines will reserve your seats for free over the phone. You can book your flights and then phone the airline to reserve your seats.

 

Flying with kids?  Pack the perfect airplane entertainment bag.