Not everyone can afford to fly in business class and take a bit more space than the standard seat. Those who travel frequently know that the chance to sit down with the big man, or someone with other than your ideas about health is very large. To avoid this is impossible, but you can try to sit near the window or in the aisle, so if you will be more comfortable to survive deprivation flight.
Russian Forbes gives good advice on how not to lose a place on the plane.
1. Learn more about the patterns and on the location of seats in the aircraft
Find out what model aircraft performed a particular flight, the airline can. Aircraft of different airlines are quite different from each other in a comfortable lounge. on Web sites, SeatGuru, SeatExpert has all the details of the line-up a variety of aircraft: the availability of electrical outlets and a television in the back seat, on the location of toilets, an interval between the rows (Usually it is 80 cm, but some companies, such as JetBlue, increase it by 5cm) - this small, seemingly a difference on long flights very felt.
The first number is the most convenient for the business class: there is more leg room, no one sitting before you - and therefore, no one throws you back in your chair, you first get food, drinks, newspapers, you would get blankets and pillows for those traveling with small children have the opportunity to attach to the wall of the cradle for the babies and put the baby armchair. But there are some disadvantages - due to hidden in the arms of the tables can not be the armrests to lift and turn the chair to a sofa, or put a sleeping baby in her lap. And if you, for example, going on the road to work or to prepare for a business meeting, it is necessary to seek barely to sit in the first rows: the neighborhood with children (and they then usually most) will hardly contribute to the concentration attention.
Places in emergency exits is also held in high esteem by experienced travelers: the interval between the rows then 15 cm more than the rest of the cabin, but Depending on the layout of the cabin often fall seatbacks (on long-haul flights you will regret it) and it is impossible to keep a hand on the floor luggage. Regulations prescribe the plant to these places only tall adults.
"To be honest, for obvious reasons, at the front above all look to this man would have been physically strong, energetic, and, how shall I say - smart, - says Boris Rybak, director of consulting company Infomost. - In case of emergency, he should open the door and help the crew to evacuate the passengers. "
Although there are cases where even the frail girl could convince the airline employee that she wanted to fly it in this series.
In the middle of a significant portion of a flight cabin you are "locked" carts with food, drinks, newspapers, goods «duty-free». In addition, usually 8-20 rows - this is the most bustling area in the plane, there is concentrated all the noise of engines and turbines. But such information on websites and schemes Saloon, and help to find a quiet place you will be able to Only employees of the airlines at the front - in the different types of aircraft different distribution graphs noise.
The tail of the plane seats a little longer (this is the geometry of the plane) - sitting there already, shakes harder, a little choice of food, newspapers and magazines (on a - what's left), next - toilet, which often turn - and that means noise. The only plus - tail places considered safer.
2. Book seats in advance
Pre-booking allows you to select a place on the plane long before the flight. This is especially convenient for those who fly the big companies - it is difficult to expect that all of you will be able to put together. British Airways has since October of this year has introduced an additional fee for booking: Now for the opportunity to select a suitable place in economy class passengers You have to pay 10 pounds (16 $) on European flights and 20 lb ($ 32) for long-haul flights, and 20 lb ($ 32) and 60 pounds ($ 98) passengers, respectively business class. But the majority of air carriers (with the exception of the budget in which all charge) still provide this service for free with the purchase of tickets in the Internet and in airline offices. But about it, few people know - because it somehow especially do not advertise neither the carriers nor the agents.
With advance booking places you can also order a special meal, and (as too few people know) - different dining options are at all airlines. "Transaero", for example, offers a choice of 30 different meals - food vegetarian, kosher, Muslim, low-calorie, diabetic, and others, plus 2 types of infant formula.
3. Use the online registration
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Choose a convenient place for you, you can and online registration, this procedure is becoming more popular - you can register at the airport kiosks, and even online airline. Thus you save a lot of time (you can arrive at the airport at least 50 minutes before departure) however, there are some limitations - you need to travel without luggage, without children, without animals. In general, this option is suitable travel light to businessman. In addition, some companies, for example, of Delta or Air Berlin do not take a place next to the emergency exits (and they travelers are considered good) in the online registration, holding them for tall and large passengers. The second point - in the Russian stand on-line registration is not at all companies and so far only in Moscow - in "Dodomedovo" and "Sheremetyevo-2".
In the near future - to create a single group boarding pass, which will allow to get seats next to each other, for example, a large family or a group of passengers - for this they will not necessarily all be at the airport at the same time, the company will be able to register all 1 person: Data of several travelers will be stored on the chip of one ticket.
4. Come on pre-registration
Do not neglect the most simple and proven way to get the desired seats in the cabin: do not be lazy and to come to the beginning of registration. According to the director of the press service Sergei Byhal Transaero "airline staff at the reception are always trying to meet the passengers and take account of their wishes." For traveling alone is possible and this option: take a chance and play the lottery - to come, on the contrary, to the very end of the registration if With luck, you can make room in business class, and if you are not lucky - get a place from which all the other passengers already They refused.
5. Choose to fly the days of least traffic
Experts recommend to nominate flights on the days and hours less busy airports - it's Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. The busiest days - Friday and Sunday. Most filled flights - morning and evening. The half-empty interiors "weekday" flight stewardesses do offer you a transfer to a vacant rows - three seats it is possible to get some sleep.
6. Try "informal ways"
Until a few years ago it was a common practice to obtain good seats on the board or passage in business class for a bribe employees of the airline (500 p. embedded in the passport still can open you the way to a place at the emergency exit, but we do not recommend). American Forbes.com tells the story of a passenger, which during the flight from New York to Germany hundred-dollar bill helped to get into the business class. The truth is on his way back to the German airline personnel the same trick did not work.
A source (Julia Kaul)