The 9 most annoying seats to avoid on a plane, including the dreaded middle seat and next to the bog
If under-seat storage, sleeping and not touching strangers is important to you then you’ll want to know what seats to avoid.
FROM the dreaded middle seat to the ones next to the bathroom, some places on a plane are undeniably worse than others.
Most frequent flyers know the drill when it comes to getting the best spot.
However, there are by even the most shrewd travellers until they find themselves sitting in one of them.
The seat at the back of any section
Annoying rating: 4/10
These are surprise, surprise… at the back of a section. This usually means they are in front of the loo or the section where the flight attends prepare food and drinks.
On one hand you are certain to avoid having your chair kicked by a restless child.
But if you want to recline your seat you’re out of luck. You’re stuck sitting up right for the entire flight.
The seat next door to the main exit
Annoying rating: 2/10
No seat in front of you, mean no under-seat storage. This means that you need to put everything in the overhead bins for take-off and landing.
The seats are also a bit smaller because you have to stow the tray tables in the armrests.
Apparently, it’s also one of the coldest places to sit on the plane too. This is due to the door having inner mechanical workings instead of insulation.
Frankly, my sympathy is limited on this one. Extra legroom is the holy grail of flying and we all have to make compromises every now and then.
The seat with the box underneath it
Annoying rating: 5/10
If you get this seat then your chances of stowing away your stuff under the seat in front of you is over.
You can also totally forget about stretching out legs too.
That’s because you’ve landed the seat with a metal case that takes up the entire under-seat storage area.
Some people call this the “entertainment box” but I don’t know why because there really is nothing entertaining about it.
Those extra few inches of storage and stretching might not seem like they make a huge difference, but they really do when you’re on a long flight.
It’s the equivalent of stuffing your legs into a sleeping bag for 14 hours. Very unpleasurable.
The broken seat
Annoying rating: 6/10
There’s always one, isn’t there.
The seat might lean at a weird angle or perhaps the entertainment screen doesn’t work.
You might even find your table is missing or you’re being jabbed by some weird belt malfunction. For eleven hours.
If your seat is broken then you should complain to the flight attendant and see if they can reseat you.
On the plus side, you might get an upgrade but it’s likely you’ll be separated from whoever you were sitting with and if the flight is really full then might not be an alternative.
The seat near the bathroom
Annoying rating: 9/10
The seats closest to the bogs are a real dump. And not just because of the smell.
You’ll be constantly disturbed throughout the flight as there’s nearly always a line for the bathroom.
It’s also the area where passengers congregate and chat as they try and exercise their legs.
And prepare for various body parts being smooshed into your shoulder as people try and accommodate two-way traffic.
The mismatched window seat
Annoying rating: 4/10
Success! You’ve got a window seat. Followed by the sheer disappointment that it’s not quite right.
There is a window there but you can’t see through it. Not only that, but you also have nowhere to rest your head.
It also means there may be a window blind tug of war with your neighbours as they’ll be able to control whether it goes up or down too.
The last row
Annoying rating: 8/10
You can’t recline your seat AND you’re right next to the toilet. Delightful.
Plus there’s the constant crowd of impatient bathroom goers and the flight assistants having a natter.
Oh, and the waft of food being prepared too. Mmm musty microwave smells. Lovely.
The rows in front of exit rows
Annoying rating: 4/10
While I don’t have much sympathy for those with extra legroom I do feel sorry for the guys in front of the exit rows.
They have slightly less legroom because their seats don’t recline (or only recline very slightly).
The dreaded middle seat
Annoying rating: 8/10
Elbows at the ready, you’re in for a feisty ride. You’re sandwiched between two people and they are both armrest hoggers.
If these people are your friends or family then you can make the most and snuggle up.
If not, it’s an eight-hour battle to sit poker straight and avoid touching the strangers sitting so close to you that you can probably smell what they had for breakfast.
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