Exit Row?

[Debbie]

I've only flown a couple of times. This will be my first time for Jet Blue , and when I got seats, we are in the exit row. I see that Air Tran charges $15 extra to be there, so I guess that means something. My question as an uneducated flier....WHY is being in the exit row a "good thing"? (Sorry Martha!)

 

[maiyasgram]

Can't tell you about JetBlue, but on Southwest it means alot more leg room.

Cherie

 

[mdhkitten]

At least on Southwest, the exit row seats have more leg room it seems.

 

[Tiffany]

I've only flown a couple of times. This will be my first time for Jet Blue , and when I got seats, we are in the exit row. I see that Air Tran charges $15 extra to be there, so I guess that means something. My question as an uneducated flier....WHY is being in the exit row a "good thing"? (Sorry Martha!)

On all airlines there is more leg room since the seats are further apart due to people needing to get through there to the exit door in case of emergency. You need to be "willing and able" to assit in opening the exit door in case of emergency. We love the exit row, it is just my husband and I, enjoy.

 

[Poorman]

Can't tell you about JetBlue, but on Southwest it means alot more leg room.

Cherie

On SWA the left side of the plane,as you are sitting facing forward, has more leg room. The right side,the side with a 3 and 2 in the exit row, does not have the extra leg room,of course the one seat with no seat in front of it does have more leg room. Go to http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Southwest_Airlines/Southwest_Airlines_Boeing_737-300.php and you will learn about seating in all the airlines. Just mouse over the seat and it will tell you about them.

 

[salmoneous]

Most of the time - including on Jet Blue - exit row seats have more room than standard seats. Nice job getting them.

And I assume they checked before letting you book those seats, but you have to be at least 15 and have no disability or other restriction (e.g. need to pre-board or seat-belt extender) in order to sit in the exit row. If you are precluded from sitting there, go ahead and switch your seats now, so you won't have to do it on the plane.

 

[pcgmom]

We were fortunate enough to get exit row seats on Delta several years ago for a long flight. There was lots more leg room, and it was so much nicer.

 

[mika911]

Go to seatguru dot com and find Jet Blue, and find the aircraft used on your flight, and then you can find your seats and see if seat guru says there is extra legroom and stuff.

 

[bradk]

given that JB removed the front row, it would seem the most popular rows would be closest to the front. comparable leg room/seat pitch and sooner to get off the plane.

 

[TDC Nala]

given that JB removed the front row, it would seem the most popular rows would be closest to the front. comparable leg room/seat pitch and sooner to get off the plane.

According to the seating chart I used two days ago to book, the exit row has a bit more room than the seats at the front of the plane. But they might be comparable. They had an exit seat available, so I did take it.

I don't care how soon I get off the plane. It doesn't take THAT long.

 

[MsAmerica]

To me, there are two issues with sitting in an exit row, besides the obvious issue of agreeing to help people exit the plane in an emergency.

One is that your tray table is not in front of you but stored in the arm rest. Because of this, it comes out at a different angle than your standard airplaine tray table. I travel with my laptop and I find this an issue as I like the screen a certain distance from me. And second, because the tray table is stored in the arm rest, the arm rests do not go up or down. As a family of 3, we like for all the arm rests to be up so we are able to stretch out a bit more, esp if our daughter falls asleep.

Jetblue has ample leg room in their planes, imo. I don't think one has to get the exit row on their aircraft to accomplish not being squished.

Good Luck

MsA

 

[Debbie]

Thanks. It was a bit complicated. I had booked (and reserved a row three seat) for DD and myself. When I cancelled her and added my DH, her seat was either snapped up immediately or wasn't released. So....exit row for DH. Then I had to switch mine to the same. Luckily, the JetBlue CSR was online and walked me through the whole process. She tried to get that row 3 seat, but Hmmmm. I do like my armrest up, but I think that we'll be okay. for all of the replies. One thing seatguru said was that exit rows can be 'cooler' than a regular seat. Not sure if that's a good thing, but I'm on the aisle, so I guess it will be fine.

 

[TDC Nala]

To me, there are two issues with sitting in an exit row, besides the obvious issue of agreeing to help people exit the plane in an emergency.

One is that your tray table is not in front of you but stored in the arm rest. Because of this, it comes out at a different angle than your standard airplaine tray table.
MsA

This is not so on Southwest, they have a tray table exactly like all the other tray tables, except for the one seat that does not have another seat directly in front of it. That seat has an armrest tray table.

 

[bradk]

36" for rows 1-9, 39 for 10, 37 for 11, 34 for the rest.

33 for every seat on SWA.

36 is plenty in my estimation. a worthy competitor to the first exit row. and i'd still rather be towards the front (as would most, which is why these are the most popular seats now).

 

[TDC Nala]

36" for rows 1-9, 39 for 10, 37 for 11, 34 for the rest.

33 for every seat on SWA.

36 is plenty in my estimation. a worthy competitor to the first exit row. and i'd still rather be towards the front (as would most, which is why these are the most popular seats now).

Apparently so. And I have seen many posts here in which flyers are very insistent that they want seats in front of the wings. But I don't get how the front of the plane is any better than the back of the plane, seeing how passengers in the front will generally save no more than 10-15 minutes. Is being on a plane so horrible that getting off immediately is imperative?

The preboarders on SWA with little kids are usually waiting in the jetway for their strollers, so I don't know why it wouldn't be better for them to be further back because they'd have to wait anyway.

 

[bradk]

pretty much. even moreso when you don't need to go to baggage claim. be it arriving at MCO and checking in for DME, or fighting for the next available taxi at the stand.

 

[TDC Nala]

pretty much. even moreso when you don't need to go to baggage claim. be it arriving at MCO and checking in for DME, or fighting for the next available taxi at the stand.

But none of that takes as long as people seem to think it will. I think it's a lot of worry about basically nothing, unless there is a very good reason why you absolutely need that 15 minutes (have to catch a connecting flight, whatever). You don't have any way of knowing whether or not getting to ME before everybody else will get you on a bus ahead of the others. And your luggage is going to come off the plane when they take it off the plane and put it on the carousel, whether or not you got off the plane first.

I know everybody has their preferences, but this one doesn't seem based in logic.

 

[bradk]

nope, but being first on a DME bus, no matter if the entire plane gets on it or not allows you first pick of the seat and since there's only one way off the bus, it's in your best interest to be in the first seat. especially when each family getting off in front of you can easily add 10 minutes to your check-in wait time.

and every person ahead of you in a taxi stand, which is combined not just from your own flight, but everyone else who happens to be leaving the airport at that moment can add a few minutes, even moreso during inclimate weather when finding a cab anywhere is exponentially harder.

at least from a new yorker's perspective.

now would i rather spend that extra 15 minutes on an airplane or in my room/apartment? well, call me crazy, but although i know i'm not going to die being on a plane for a few minutes longer, i'd rather be in my room/apt. unfortunately, too many people agree with my thinking, so that's why it's as competitive as it is. if everyone craved the back of the plane for whatever reason, i'd be happier.

fact is, until this inane ban on liquids, i was quite capable of not having to check any luggage.

now, as i alluded to earlier, if i had to go to baggage claim, it would be pointless where i sat and how long it took me to get off the plane, although again, most people are going to crowd the front of the belt and i have been virtually shut out by being the near-last to get there as well.

 

[TDC Nala]

nope, but being first on a DME bus, no matter if the entire plane gets on it or not allows you first pick of the seat and since there's only one way off the bus, it's in your best interest to be in the first seat. especially when each family getting off in front of you can easily add 10 minutes to your check-in wait time.

and every person ahead of you in a taxi stand, which is combined not just from your own flight, but everyone else who happens to be leaving the airport at that moment can add a few minutes, even moreso during inclimate weather when finding a cab anywhere is exponentially harder.

at least from a new yorker's perspective.

now would i rather spend that extra 15 minutes on an airplane or in my room/apartment? well, call me crazy, but although i know i'm not going to die being on a plane for a few minutes longer, i'd rather be in my room/apt. unfortunately, too many people agree with my thinking, so that's why it's as competitive as it is. if everyone craved the back of the plane for whatever reason, i'd be happier.

fact is, until this inane ban on liquids, i was quite capable of not having to check any luggage.

now, as i alluded to earlier, if i had to go to baggage claim, it would be pointless where i sat and how long it took me to get off the plane, although again, most people are going to crowd the front of the belt and i have been virtually shut out by being the near-last to get there as well.

If it were a half hour I'd get it. But 10 to 15 minutes? And why do you HAVE to be at the front of the belt waiting for the luggage? I understand that only if you think someone might steal it while it's running down the track, which is possible.

I guess I am not in as big a hurry as most...if I am in a hurry, I will rent a car from National and pick the car up without going to the desk and just get out of the airport. Because no matter what you do in an airport, you are going to wait somewhere.

I got annoyed with the state of things since I take public transportation to work. There are people who MUST get on the train before you do. There are people who will not wait for the next train and will shove you down the stairs if they have to while running for the one that just pulled up. There are people who have selected their preferred seats for their daily ride and they'll push past you to get the seat before you do. Then they get agitated if they have to sit somewhere else. They should just be glad to get a a seat on the train.

 

[Debbie]

Interesting conversation. Went back today, no seats in row 3, so I guess they were picked right up. Exit row.....heck I thought that meant that they'd open those emergency doors and we'd get to exit first!