Best Seats on Plane?

[uagirl]

We are flying SW on Saturday. On our previous trips, we sat in the exit row. I don't think that's possible with a 2 year old. Any other good seats to look for?

 

[polopony]

You might try seatguru.com. You'll see recommended and non-recommended seats listed for every airline.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Yes, the FAA requires passengers in the exit row to be at least 15 years of age and to meet other qualifications. This applies to all U.S. air carriers.

Southwest has open seating. You pick whatever unoccupied seats look good to you as you board the aircraft. Southwest's aircraft have 3+3 seating. For a family of 3, it makes sense to take 3 seats as soon as you encounter a row that has 3 seats together. If you sit towards the front of the cabin, you'll get off the aircraft sooner than if you sit further back.

The boarding order is based on the letter and number on your boarding pass. See Southwest's "Boarding School" FAQ at http://www.southwest.com/html/generated/help/faqs/boarding_school_faq.html

Because you have a 2-year-old child, be sure to read the part about family pre-boarding.

 

[clanmcculloch]

It's a matter of preference. Some people like the front row because of the extra leg room while others will never sit there because you can't stow your bags in front of you (they have to go in the overhead bins when you're in that row). Some people like the back row because you won't get anybody behind you kicking or pushing on your seat and it's close to bathrooms while others will never sit there because you can't recline and for other reasons (far from the front makes some people claustrophobic, too near the bathroom, many other reasons). You need to figure out what's important, if anything, about location within the airlplane and choose your seats accordingly.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

On Southwest, unless you have "A" boarding passes with a fairly low numbers, the bulkhead seats and exit row seats are usually not an option (except possibly for lone middle seats in such rows).