Luxury aircraft. Rossiya will sell good seats for online registration

If you like to travel a lot and often, then you probably spend a lot of time on the road, namely on board an airplane. If the flight does not last long, then you do not pay attention to minor inconveniences, but if you need to fly for 8-10 hours, then comfort is of great importance, and all other things being equal, I will always choose more convenient flight conditions.

The comfort of your flight depends on many factors - on-board entertainment, but most importantly - on the convenience of the place where you will spend almost the entire trip. Today I want to talk about the differences between different seats on board an airplane, how to find out in advance which cabin your flight will have, and how to choose the seat you like.

To choose the best seat on board an airplane, you first need to know which plane you will be flying on. Moreover, even the same aircraft from different airlines may have different seat configurations, so it is important to find out not just the type of aircraft, but the specific aircraft.

You can do this even before purchasing a ticket on the airline’s website (in the flight schedule) or in the ticket search engine.

For example, when searching for a ticket to, you can immediately see the name of the airline and flight number in the route description. Let's look at the example of a London-New York flight:

The first segment of the flight will be carried out by aircraft Norwegian airlines Air, flight number DY-2802. Using this information, you can learn more about a specific aircraft at www.seatguru.com and www.seatexpert.com.

2. Where to find the interior diagram

You can also view the interior diagram on specialized websites.

Let's try to find a diagram of the aircraft cabin for the same flight London-New York for the first flight segment at www.seatguru.com.

First, on the main page we enter the necessary information - the name of the airline and the flight number (we already found them out on the ticket search engine or on the airline’s website):

A window opens where you can see what the plane will be like. To see the interior diagram, click “View map”:

A page opens with detailed information about the aircraft, as well as the seat layout:

3. Features of different seats on board the aircraft

In addition to studying the diagrams in detail, you need to remember some of the features of different places on board and select the best place based on your needs. Let's look at the different types of seats on the plane.

3.1. Emergency exit seats

If your height is above average, then these places are created especially for you! In the row opposite emergency exit much more legroom than regular seats. But there are also restrictions - hand luggage will have to be put in the luggage rack, because... Safety rules do not allow things to be placed in the passage to the emergency exit. So you can’t put anything under your seat or the seat in front of you. Also, passengers with children are not seated at emergency exits, because it is assumed that there should be a person sitting at the emergency exit who will be able to help flight attendants open the emergency exit and evacuate passengers.

Also keep in mind that if your seat is located in the row that is located in front of the emergency row, then you will not be able to recline the back of your seat so as not to block the emergency exit.

3.2. Seats at the beginning of the plane

• Most often, the very first row is reserved for frequent flyers and for passengers with children. So keep in mind that you may not be able to sleep due to a crying baby. Although you are not immune from this in other places, the probability here is higher.
• Service starts right from the front rows, so you will have the maximum choice of dishes.
• You will have to walk to the toilet, because... Business class toilets are not normally usable.
• After landing, you will be able to leave the plane in the first rows, right after the first and business class passengers.

3.3. Middle seats

These places do not have pronounced disadvantages or advantages. When choosing a seat in the middle of the plane, pay attention to whether the wing of the plane will block your view if you plan to sit near the window.

3.4. Seats at the back of the plane

According to statistics, the seats located in the rear of the aircraft are considered the safest, because... Most of the passengers who survived the plane crash were in the tail section.

But there are no absolutely safe places, so let's look at other features of these places:

• there are toilets in the rear, which on the one hand is convenient - you don’t have to go far, but on the other hand, people will always be walking next to you, so it can be very noisy.
• The last rows do not always have windows, so if you want to enjoy the views, look at the diagram of the plane you will be flying in advance.
• Also, in the last row the backrest may not recline, because There is no additional space provided.
• If you like to photograph the view from the window, then keep in mind that there may be poor visibility in the tail section due to the exhaust plume.
• If the plane is not packed to capacity, then most of the free seats are usually in the rear section, so you can occupy several seats at once, lounging comfortably.
• If you are flying with a transfer, it is better not to sit at the very back of the plane, because... You will only be able to leave as the last one, thereby losing a lot of time.
• food distribution usually starts from the beginning or middle of the plane, so if you haven’t ordered a special meal, some dishes may no longer be enough for you (for example, you only eat fish, and only a few servings of meat will remain).

3.5. The most uncomfortable places

In addition to relatively comfortable places that have both advantages and disadvantages, there are also places that are strictly not recommended to sit on, for example:

• seats in the row located in front of the emergency exit. You will not be able to recline the backrest.
• seats in the middle row (if the plane has three rows of seats, with a 3-3-3, 3-4-3, 2-5-2 layout). Especially if you are sitting in the middle of this row, it is difficult to get out to the toilet, you may have to let passengers through, it is also difficult to get something from the luggage compartment, it takes the longest to get out after the plane stops.
• places near the toilet - there may be an unpleasant smell, and people scurrying back and forth will not allow you to rest.

4. How to book a specific seat on board

When you have decided on the place you want to take, you need to book it. This can be done either in advance or immediately before departure. At the same time, you need to understand that the sooner you book a place, the greater the chances of getting exactly what you want.

So, there are several options for booking a place.

4.1. Reservation when purchasing a ticket

If you, then most likely it will be possible to immediately reserve a seat on board upon purchase. Find out about this option immediately.

Peculiarities. If you are flying low-cost, then most likely an additional fee will be charged for booking a specific seat. So I don’t see the point of booking something in advance, only if you really need a certain seat for some reason (for example, you are traveling with a child and want to be sure in advance that you will sit next to you or take a seat in the first row) . If you do not reserve a place in advance, then it is likely that you will be able to use another selection option, more on that below.

4.2. Booking in your personal account

If you bought your ticket from an intermediary (for example, through Skyscanner), then you can manage your booking on the airline's website. Just go to the airline’s website, register (or immediately go to your personal account if you are already registered) and in your personal account go to the “my bookings” or “manage booking” section. There you can already select seats (if there is such an option) or, for example, insert a card number to track miles.

4.3. Selecting a seat during online check-in

Online check-in usually starts 24 hours before the plane departs, but sometimes it opens earlier, you need to find out on the airline’s website. It is best to register immediately, in the first minutes after registration begins, so there will be a greater chance that you will have time to book the right place. To avoid missing time, set yourself a reminder. Again, this option does not apply to low-cost companies, because... there the choice of seat is only for an additional fee.

4.4. Selecting a seat during check-in at the airport

Here, too, it makes sense to arrive at the airport early in order to be among the first to check in. The most best places may already be occupied, but at least you can choose a seat at the window or in the aisle, in the middle part of the plane or at the end. If you resort to the check-in counter at the last minute, then most likely you will no longer be able to choose a seat. This applies to flights on popular destinations at the height of the season. If you are flying in the low season and the plane is half empty, then towards the end of check-in you can, for example, ask for a seat in a free row where there will be no one next to you.

4.5. Selecting a seat after boarding is complete

As soon as the boarding has been announced, you can safely choose a more convenient place. This applies, first of all, to low-cost airlines, because... This is the only free seat selection option.

Another feature of low-cost airlines is that they sell slightly more tickets than seats on the plane, because... According to statistics, about 10% of passengers do not show up for their flight. Therefore, passengers who arrived last can often be seated in the best seats, sometimes even seated in business class (if, of course, it is provided for in this low-cost airline).

When registering online. Previously, this could only be done when checking in at the airport counter (or at the ticket office of an authorized agent, which no one knew about), which forced passengers using this service to arrive in advance, otherwise there might not be enough seats. What are these places and how much?

On at the moment The airline offers 4 categories of seats available for an additional fee:
“Space+” - seats with increased legroom, mainly near emergency exits; it costs 1000-3200 rubles. for domestic routes and 15-55 euros for international routes (depending on the duration of the flight - there are three gradations:<3, 3-6 и >6 hours).

“Space+ Upper Deck” - seats with increased legroom on the upper deck of a Boeing 747, it costs 3000-5600 rubles. on domestic flights and 75-90 euros (or $85) for international ones.

“Front Rows” - seats in rows 1-4 of Boeing 737-800 (300-500 rubles on domestic flights and 5-8 euros ($10 on international flights).

“A-zone” - seats in the bow of a Boeing 747 (the first cabin of the lower deck with 55 seats): 700 rubles or 12 euros ($14).

It is worth noting that all innovations concern Rossiya flights (FV5501-5900), which are operated without a code share with Aeroflot; For registration here, DCS “Astra” (Sirena-Travel) is used, and not Saber, which does not have such a function: select comfortable places At Aeroflot, only platinum level passengers can go outside the counter, and for free. Privileges on bonus cards of Aeroflot elite levels do not apply on these Rossiya flights, so you can only get these seats for free by chance by going to the airport counter at the very end of check-in.

If the flight is short, then perhaps this issue is not urgent for you. And for those who fly often and who are going on a long flight, it is important to know where the best seats on the plane are located. After all, you must admit, when planning a vacation to distant hot countries, we dream that it will be a great success, and the impression of it will not be blurred by the “difficulties of the flight.” You don’t want to sit somewhere in a cramped middle row, squeezed between overly plump passengers, or end up in the tail section, where there is not even a window, or be next to the toilet, where passengers are endlessly plying around.

If you know the make of the aircraft on which you are planning a flight, then the diagram of the aircraft can be viewed on the official website of the carrier. In most cases, such information is not available and it is better to use some general rules when purchasing tickets, which we will describe here.

Porthole seats have many advantages:

• good lighting, especially if you are going to read;
• you can admire the views of cities during takeoff and landing or the bizarre views of clouds;
• you won't be bothered by squeezing your way to the exit.

These places have only one drawback: it will be difficult for you to go out into the passage, if you need to go to the toilet, you will have to disturb your neighbors. If you do not like to do this, but have a need to go out often, then it is better to take a ticket closer to the aisle.

Down the aisle

The places have advantages for long-legged and restless people. Here you can stretch your legs into the passage, stand up, stand for a while, and go to the toilet without hindrance. After landing, again, you will get off the plane faster. On the other hand, these are the most restless places. Flight attendants drive around with trolleys endlessly, sometimes even hitting us. Every time you have to get up when someone goes to the toilet.

Golden mean

Some, having weighed the pros and cons of the outer seats when deciding where it is better to sit on the plane, will take the seats in the middle; they are not too restless and they will not have to disturb their neighbors too much. If you need to get up, then at least you don’t have to go through everyone and fewer people pass through you, which means they will bother you less often.

Places behind emergency exits

These seats are located further away from the previous row, so it’s quite comfortable to sit here; you can stretch your legs and go to the toilet without disturbing anyone. Air carriers often leave such places for physically trained people, who in the event of an accident and evacuation (God forbid!) will be able to open an emergency exit. Also, according to the rules, it is strictly forbidden to block the passage to these places with suitcases.

Places behind emergency hatches

These are very inconvenient places in the sense that the chairs cannot be thrown back, they are fixed so as not to block the passages to the emergency exits. If the row is located between two emergency hatches, then the passenger has the advantage of having some additional space in front of him.

At the front of the plane

They are convenient because passenger service begins precisely from these places, and you have a larger selection of food and drinks. In addition, passengers in the front rows have the advantage of being able to walk down the plane faster. The negative aspect of these places is that passengers with children often take tickets here, since there are mounts for baby strollers in the bow. Well, everyone knows what it’s like to fly next to a child who is naughty.

Seats at the back of the plane

The seats here are usually economy class and there are considered to be few amenities. However, the biggest benefit that may outweigh all others when deciding which airline seats to choose is safety. According to statistics, during crashes and accidents, it is the passengers in the tail section who most often survive, since the main impact always falls on the nose of the plane.

Often on unloaded flights these seats remain free, and you can easily take several at once and even sleep. The disadvantages of these places include the fact that passengers in the tail section are served last.

What's good about the first row?

There are no seats in front of the first row on the plane, this is a big advantage:

• you will be able to stretch your legs;
• No one will recline the chair for you.

However, please note that the first row, in front of which there are no seats, may be after the rows of a different class of service or the one in front of which the kitchen is located. In this case, you will have to look at the wall the whole way, and bassinets for babies are often mounted on the wall. You can buy tickets for these places if necessary.

Last row

The seats in the last row are very uncomfortable because the seats do not recline, and if they recline, it is only a little, and you will not be able to rest properly, especially if it is a long flight.

This is a brief description of all types of seats on the plane, but you also need to take into account the following factors:

• number of service classes in the cabin;
• distance between rows;
• number of seats in a row.

All these characteristics are different for different airliner models.

Scheme for purchasing good seats on a plane

1. Find out the model of the airliner you will be flying on. It would be a good idea to consult with airline employees and find out in general about the level of comfort of the cabin: the presence of sockets, the distance between the rows, whether there is a TV, where the toilet is located.
2. Buy your ticket online or at self-check-in kiosks at the airport, if available. This way you can choose a free, comfortable seat. On airline websites you can find diagrams of aircraft cabins.
3. If you buy tickets at the regular box office, just ask where you want them, “window” or “aisle.”
4. Think about what is most important to you during the flight, what will you do - look out the window or sleep. It may be important for you to freely get out of your place at any time.
5. Please note that the numbers and letters that indicate places can be written in both Cyrillic and Latin alphabet and the place may have a different location depending on this.
6. Try to buy tickets on more open flights. Typically, planes are busy on Fridays and weekends, with morning and evening flights. If you want to choose comfortable seats, try to plan your trip in advance and take tickets from Monday to Thursday, for flights that depart at lunchtime or 2-3 hours later.
7. To select good places the direction of flight must also be taken into account. For example, if you are flying from North to South in the morning, the sun will be on the left side. If you were flying to reverse direction, to the North, then the sun would be on the right.

What to do if you only managed to buy an inconvenient place

Try to arrive at the airport on time for check-in and boarding. Then you will have a few minutes after landing to find a more comfortable seat, in case one is available. Do not ask the flight attendant for permission; change seats yourself. When the landing is completed and the plane begins to gain altitude, it will be impossible to change planes. When the liner already gains altitude and it is allowed to get up from your seat, it may turn out that these seats are already occupied by more efficient passengers. In any case, you shouldn’t be upset, since you will always have time to take your purchased seat.

Not everyone can afford to fly in business class and take up slightly more space than a standard seat. Those who fly often know that the chance of sitting with a large person or someone with different ideas about hygiene than you is very high. It’s impossible to avoid this, but you can try to sit near a window or in an aisle if that makes it more comfortable for you to survive the hardships of the flight.

Russian Forbes gives practical advice on how not to make a mistake with your seat on the plane.

1. Find out more about the model and the location of seats on the plane

You can find out what model of aircraft a particular flight is on on the airline’s website. Airplanes of different airlines differ quite greatly from each other in terms of cabin comfort. The websites SeatGuru, SeatExpert have all the details about the layout of a wide variety of aircraft: the presence of electrical sockets and TVs in the backs of the seats, the location of toilets, the spacing between rows (usually it is 80 cm, but some companies, such as JetBlue, have increased it by 5 cm) - this seemingly small difference is very noticeable on long flights.

The first row behind business class is considered the most comfortable: there is more legroom, no one sits in front of you - which means no one reclines their seat back on you, you will be the first to receive food, drinks, newspapers, you will get blankets and pillows, for Traveling with small children, it is possible to attach a cradle for babies to the wall and install a child seat. But this also has its drawbacks - because of the tables hidden in the armrests, it is impossible to lift these armrests and turn the chair into a sofa, or to place a sleeping child on your lap. And if, for example, you are going to work on the road or prepare for a business meeting, you should hardly strive to sit in the front rows: being close to children (and there are usually more of them here) is unlikely to contribute to concentration.

Seats near emergency exits are also held in high esteem experienced travelers: the spacing between the rows here is 15 cm greater than in the rest of the cabin, but depending on the layout of the cabin, the seat backs often do not lower (on long flights you will regret this) and you cannot keep hand luggage on the floor. The rules require that only tall adults be seated in these seats.

“Honestly, for obvious reasons, when registering, first of all they look to ensure that the person is physically strong, energetic and, how can I put it, smart,” says Boris Rybak, director of the consulting company Infomost. “In case of an emergency, he must open the door and help the crew evacuate the passengers.”

Although there are cases when even a fragile girl could convince an airline employee that she needed to fly in this particular row.

In the middle of the cabin, for a significant part of the flight you find yourself “locked” by carts with food, drinks, newspapers, and duty-free goods. In addition, rows 8-20 are usually the noisiest area on the plane; all the noise from engines and turbines is concentrated here. But there is no such information on the websites and diagrams of salons, and help to find more quiet place Only airline employees at check-in will be able to tell you - different types of aircraft have different noise distribution schedules.

In the back of the plane, the space is a little narrower (this is the geometry of the plane) - sitting there is more crowded, the shaking is stronger, there is a small selection of food, newspapers and magazines (based on the principle of what is left), next to it is a toilet, which most often has a queue - which means noise. The only plus is that the tail seats are considered safer.

2. Book your seats in advance

Advance booking allows you to choose your seats on the plane long before the flight. This is especially convenient for those who fly in large groups - it is difficult to expect that they will all be able to seat you next to each other. British Airways has introduced an additional fee for bookings since October of this year: now for the opportunity to choose convenient place Economy class passengers will have to pay 10 pounds ($16) on European flights and 20 pounds ($32) on long haul flights, and 20 pounds ($32) and 60 pounds ($98) respectively for business class passengers. But most airlines (with the exception of low-cost airlines, which charge everything) still provide this service for free when purchasing tickets both online and at airline offices. But few people know about it - because for some reason it is not particularly advertised by either the carriers themselves or the agents.

When you pre-book your seat, you can also order a special meal for yourself (which few people know about either) - all airlines have different lunch options. Transaero, for example, offers a choice of about 30 different lunches - vegetarian, kosher, Muslim, low-calorie, diabetic and others, plus 2 types of baby food.

3. Use online registration

You can also choose a seat that is convenient for you during online check-in; this procedure is becoming increasingly popular - you can check in at the airport at special kiosks, and even on the airline’s website. This way you save a lot of time (you can arrive at the airport at least 50 minutes before departure), however, there are a number of restrictions - you must travel without luggage, without small children, without animals. In general, this option is suitable for a businessman traveling light. In addition, some companies, for example, Delta or Air Berlin, do not display seats near emergency exits (which are considered good by travelers) in the online check-in system, reserving them for tall and large passengers. The second point is that not all companies in Russia have online registration counters, and so far only in Moscow - at Dodomedovo and Sheremetyevo-2.

In the near future - the creation of a single group boarding pass, which will allow, for example, a large family or a group of passengers to get seats next to each other - for this they will not all have to be at the airport at the same time, 1 person will be able to register the entire group: The data of several travelers at once will be stored on the chip of one ticket.

4. Arrive early for registration

Do not neglect the simplest and most proven way to get the desired seat in the cabin: do not be lazy and arrive at the beginning of registration. According to the director of the press service of Transaero airline Sergei Bykhal, “the airline’s employees at check-in always try to meet passengers halfway and take into account their wishes.” For those traveling alone, this option is also possible: take a chance and play the lottery - on the contrary, arrive at the very end of check-in: if you are lucky, you may be given a seat in business class, and if you are unlucky, you will get a seat from which all other passengers have already refused.

5. Choose days of least traffic to fly.

Experts recommend, if possible, scheduling flights on days and times when airports are least busy - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. The busiest days are Friday and Sunday. The busiest flights are morning and evening. In the half-empty cabins of “weekday” flights, the flight attendants themselves will offer you to change seats to unoccupied rows - it’s quite possible to sleep on three seats.

6. Try "unofficial ways"

Just a few years ago, it was common practice to get good seats on board or to get into business class by bribing airline employees (500 rubles included in your passport can still open your way to a seat at the emergency exit, but we do not recommend this). American Forbes.com tells the story of a passenger who, on a flight from New York to Germany, was helped by a hundred-dollar bill to get into business class. True on way back The same trick didn't work with the airline's German staff.

The comfort and pleasure of air travel significantly depend not only on the equipment of the aircraft and the service on board, but also on what kind of seat in the cabin you get. And the longer the flight, the stronger this dependence, since sitting for several hours in the same position is not very comfortable, and, in general, there is no place to walk around the cabin.

And if for an ordinary passenger a seat is a kind of lottery, then an advanced one always tries to take the most comfortable seats, and, other things being equal, even chooses the airline whose planes are more comfortable to sit on. So, let's fly. What are the best seats on a plane?

Firstly, comfort is characterized by the width of the seats and the distance between the rows. Moreover, if the width is set by the manufacturer and depends primarily on the type of aircraft, then the distance between the rows is determined by the airline ordering the aircraft, and it is they who choose the balance between on-board capacity and passenger comfort. Thus, in economy class cabins, the distance can vary from 28 inches (71 cm) to as much as 40 (101 cm) - the difference is visible to the naked eye. In the first case, you will barely squeeze into your seat, rest your knees on the back of the chair in front and will hardly be able to move, and in the second you will even sit cross-legged.

Secondly, comfort is characterized by the relative arrangement of the seats. Most often they are arranged in blocks - 1+2, 2+2, 2+3, 3+3, 2+4+2, 3+3+3, 2+5+2, 3+4+3. For narrow-body aircraft, the most common scheme is 3+3 (for all airlines); for wide-body aircraft, depending on the type of aircraft and airline, any of the last four schemes can be used.

Places located near the porthole, are convenient because, firstly, you control the window (close the bright sun, open it in the dark), and, secondly, no one will disturb you during the flight, you can sleep, read or watch movies peacefully the whole way. It's just inconvenient to get things out of hand luggage and go to the toilet, but these are more likely your neighbors’ problems than yours 😉 However, out of love for others, you can put your bag under the seat of the chair in front and not disturb anyone.

Aisle seats They are convenient because you can stretch your legs into the aisle if the distance between the chairs is small, and you can also get up at any time to stretch or go to the toilet. The disadvantage is that it is unlikely that you will be able to sleep or be deeply immersed in reading: you will probably need to get up from time to time to let your neighbors out, and other passengers, moving along the aisle, will grab the back of your seat.

Places in the middle, that is, between other seats, no one likes: they combine the disadvantages of window and aisle seats, without having their advantages, while being squeezed between two broad-shouldered men all the way, for example, is also not very pleasant.

Thirdly, the comfort of a seat is determined by its location in the cabin. The worst thing, of course, near the toilets: there is noise, and smell, and a queue in the aisle. Typically, lavatories are located at the rear of the plane, but relatively larger ones are often located in the middle of the cabin, so the general rule is to sit as close to the front of the cabin as possible. However, some passengers, on the contrary, try to choose last rows, since if the plane is not fully loaded (and on average it is 80%, i.e. you should count on it), the chances are high that no one will be seated next to you, and then you can single-handedly occupy the entire block of seats, which significantly expands the list of available positions 😉

In general, the best thing is in a row at the emergency exits, since there the distance between the seats is almost always greater than usual, which allows you to sit comfortably. Also, the chair at the porthole near the emergency exit may be completely absent, which creates truly royal comfort for the one who sits immediately behind the emergency exit at the porthole, i.e. on the next row. Some airlines may not have any other seats depending on the cabin layout. But in a row before the emergency exit, most likely, the backrests will not recline.

There are, however, “controversial” places. For example, if the emergency exits are next to each other. In this case, the second row will be comfortable, but the backs in the first row will not recline. There is also a twofold situation with the first row of “economy” after business class. If the two salons are separated from each other by a curtain, then there will be plenty of legroom. If there is a rigid partition, then there will only be a lot of space for the knees, and it will be difficult to stretch the legs forward. But in long-haul airliners, the distance between the partition and the central blocks of seats is usually very large. But always be prepared for the fact that if there is a lot of space in front of you, it means that the chair itself may be narrower, since the table in this case is often retracted into the armrest. It may also be that you are sitting at the emergency exit, and there is nowhere to put your legs: the box in which the inflatable ladder is hidden is in the way.

In business class, choosing a seat is not so difficult: you sit either by the window or by the aisle, and even with the rather rare blocking of seats 3 in a row, the person sitting in the middle will not be squeezed or disturbed, because both neighbors will sit in the aisles. The difficulty here is different: various airlines The chairs themselves are very different. For some, they fold out into a horizontal couch ( lie-flat), someone has it slanted ( angle lie-flat) - this applies to long-haul aircraft, in medium-haul aircraft some have leg support, some do not, the angles of the backrests vary greatly, and some even use a transformable cabin. In it, “economy” turns into “business” by moving the armrests so that a three-seat unit becomes a two-seat unit, but with a wide central armrest - for example, AirFrance/KLM.

How to find and choose the place of your dreams? The algorithm is like this:

First, we study the sites listed here: On them you can find options for cabin layouts of various airlines. Unfortunately, not everyone - this time. And, unfortunately, even for one airline, the layout of different boards of the same type can be different - they are often published on airline websites, but not all of them. It is unknown which one you will get, so you will have to check the seat maps after registration has begun. However, preferred places can be spotted in advance.

In any case, it is important to remember that the layout of the cabins and the numbering of seats varies from airline to airline, so numerous tips found on the Internet like: “On the A320 you need to sit in seat 10A” are only valid for a specific airline, and even then not always. You can only listen to general advice like: “In a Boeing 747 it is better to fly on the upper deck” or “In a Tu-154 it is much more spacious in the first cabin.”

Secondly, as soon as it opens online registration, if it is available for your flight, you need to go through it. The closer to the beginning, the greater the chance that good places have not yet been taken. However, more often than not, you will find that they are “busy” from the very beginning. In fact, this most often means that they are blocked - for example, places at emergency exits are closed for online registration because not everyone can sit on them, but only those who, if something happens, will be able to open this exit manually. Since the airline does not know if, for example, you have a broken arm or a dislocated joint, or if you are a fragile girl, you can only get these seats at the check-in counter at the airport. However, some airlines, such as Aegean Airlines, allow you to select “emergency” seats online, asking you to confirm that you will be able to open and hold a hatch of a certain weight.

On seats near the partition passengers with children are seated in bassinets - therefore, these rows are also often not available during online check-in, and they can also only be obtained at the counter. And good seats may be unavailable because they are placed there only for an additional payment or for special merits - for example, Aeroflot has a “Space +” service, within the framework of which they are offered. By the way, they do not consider the emergency exit seats by the window “elite”, since there is no ordinary armrest there, but only a small one built into the hatch, so you can get legroom for free.

Why then online check-in if good seats are only given at the airport? Very simple. Online, you need to choose slightly less preferred seats: for example, immediately behind the emergency row (because the one with his legs stretched out, as a rule, is less likely to want to recline his back in your direction), or simply on a block of two seats, or on the last row - in general, so that if you fail to take the best seats, you would not get completely uncomfortable ones.

Now with boarding pass we go to the airport to the business class or baggage claim counter ( Drop-Off), where there is no queue, and ask to move us to the right place (I don’t remember even once being refused). We can find out whether it is free (or just blocked) on Expertflyer or using their free mobile application (Android, iOS). If the seats are occupied, then all that remains is to board the plane last and assess the situation - perhaps there are empty rows somewhere, and you can take them after the announcement “boarding is over.”