Remember those times that you were so enthusiastic for that holiday trip to your dream destination, and only to realise that you were placed in a sucky seat on the airplane between 2 giants?
You cursed at yourself and wonder how those other passengers got much better seats than you.
Let me share with you a secret, if you have not already know.
Selecting seats in advance online or even through SMS text message check-in services, usually available up to 48 hours before a flight.
Check out websites like SeatGuru.com, SeatExpert.com and LoveMySeat.com. They offer seating information and interactive maps that provide assessments of individual seats according to their level of recline, leg room, row position, access to in-flight amenities and proximity to lavatories and the galley.
Bulkhead rows are difficult to get as they are reserved for frequent flyers, elderly or families with infants or small children. No harm trying though.
Window seats are typically most popular for leisure travellers, so act fast.
Aisle seats are preferred by business travellers as they have at least an arm rest, with open space to one side and allow stretching your limbs a little more.
And middle seat is where you will end up if you don't reserve your seat in advance.
So now, which row is the best?
The front of the plane is usually further away from the engines and therefore quieter. In-flight beverage and food service begins from the front, too.
Passengers at the front are also the first to get off and into the immigration and customs lines.
The rear of the plane is noisy from the traffic associated with the lavatories and galley.
If finding the best economy seating is like rocket science, there is always the fuss free first and business class.
First class
Cathay Pacific has ranked No.1 in the Skytrax World Airline Awards (WAA) for best all-round first class service two years in a row. Seats recline into a flat bed, which is 2m long and 56-63cm wide. This year, Cathay will introduce a new, roomier seating configuration that includes an in-built massage function and 43cm television.
Singapore Airlines has started offering a new seat - a combination seat-lounge-bed that is virtually a mini-cabin. Billed as the widest in the sky (89cm), the seat also features a 58cm LCD TV with surround sound. Available only on selected flights from Singapore.
Emirates was the first to offer the new mini-cabin seating configuration. Airbus A340-500 passengers get a 218cm x 55cm suite, featuring a massage function, personal TV and workstation. Emirates won the WAA best in-flight entertainment award in 2005 and 2006, and plans to upgrade some aircraft to a new 600-channel audio-video system.
Business class
British Airways ranked No.1 for business class in the 2006 World Airline Awards. Seats recline into a flat bed (185cm x 51cm), a feature more common in first class. BA's unusual seating configuration, which has some seats facing the rear of the plane, has received mixed reviews. Passengers get access to a travel spa at Heathrow or New York's JFK.
Qantas ranked fourth in the WAA. SkyBed seats on some Boeing 747s and Airbus A330s models have near-full recline capability (155cm x 61cm) and an in-built massage function. The audio-video system has 300 channels. SkyBeds have not been rolled out for all routes yet, with some aircraft retaining smaller seats with reduced recline capability and no power ports.
Air New Zealand has a spacious flat bed seat on its premier service (202cm x 59cm), with a 26cm TV, remote control and ottoman footrest. Premier is available only for certain long-haul Tasman and Pacific routes.
So, where the bloody hell are you sitting?
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