Window or aisle seat?

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Many of us travel, we fly at least once a year.  I just got back from a transatlantic trip, Phoenix-London-Phoenix a little over two months ago.  As a lover of aviation I have always tried to get a window seat, usually away from the wing so I can see out as I fly.  This goes back fifty years, to my first flights in California.  But on this last trip I longed for an aisle seat, the flight was so long I wanted to stretch my legs, but the passenger next to me was uncooperative and did not want to move.  What do fliers here prefer, a window or an aisle seat?  Or have you become so used to simming that it really doesn't matter since you know what is down there? :)

 

John

[Glynn 405]

I was the same as you John, always booked the window seats. but lately I find I book an aisle seat  for my wife and I.

Much more comfortable, easier access to the drinks trolley, I get to stretch one leg out at least and don't have to put up with the wife falling asleep snoring in my ear.

[Wise87 1,281]

I use to be a window seat fan but now I prefer the aisle. This way I can get up when I please and not have to climb over people. Only advantage of taking a window seat is on a long hall because you can lay up against the side but sucks when you have to climb over people when they are asleep.

[Jim Young 2,356]

I have always booked for a windows seat and about one seat back of the wing and always get it unless the kind Flight Attendant moves me up to First Class (which happened often back in the days of my once a week flights in my days of being employed).  Now that I'm into Flight Simulation it is even more interesting to see when the pilot lowers the flaps on landing or retracts the flaps after takeoff.  Hard to see things at FL350 but the takeoffs and landings are interesting for a windows seat passenger.  My last flight though was cancelled for some reason in Chicago and I had a window seat reserved but, when booked on another flight, all the window seats were taken and I had to sit in the middle seat (and the guy who had the window seat pulled the shade down).

Best regards,

Jim

[JRBarrett 3,070]

Window seat always! I usually fly for business, and have my preferences set in our corporate flight booking app for window seat, and almost always get one.

I am blessed with enormous reserve bladder capacity, so I never need to leave my seat in flight, even on a 5-hour coast to coast trip. 😜

If you ever have occasion to fly on a Delta 717, THE seats to request are either 21A or 21E. Those are the left and right side window seats immediately behind the exit row, and there is NO seat immediately in front of either. You can stretch your legs full length😎 It's more legroom than even the first class passengers get.

[pete_auau 1,158]

Always  aisle seat,    rather  walk up  and  down  every 30 minutes or so  to stretch the legs   and  get  to watch  the  flight  attendants  walk  down the  ailse

[brucets 94]

Ha! Good question.

For 60yrs I have always had window seats, even on long haul over water flts. My wife always has an aisle seat. Looking out the window takes me away from the overcrowded interior. On UAL flts I used to always listen to ATC on Channel 1 block to block. I couldn't understand everything they said cuz my hearing has always been poor, but since I started playing with MSFS 17yrs ago I knew what to listen for. I spent my entire working career in the airline and travel business and have ridden dozens and dozens of international flights in F/CL, on wide bodies, but now I'm in coach, and it just really sux! It's a horrible experience now! Still the window seat allows me to escaped the Claustrophobia and try to doze with my head on a pillow against the fuselage. Like Mr. Barrett I can go overnight without peeing! Sometimes when I didn't have to bother other passengers I got up and chatted with the crew in the galley! I haven't been on an airplane for about 4 years now. It has become an such awful and potentially dangerous experience. I really dread going to the airport! May never do it again!

Bruce

[speedyTC 195]

Short version:

Short haul, window.  Long haul, definitely aisle and preferably in the middle section. That way you only get one passenger clambering over you (in a 3-4-3 config). 

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I prefer aisle, seen enough out of the windows over the years so I prefer the space over the view. I also like getting caught up on movies or sleep or both.

If I travel with my family we book seats A, B, and C and put our daughter in the window and we swap turns sitting next to her. Always A, B, and C because that we she gets the eastern view there, and the western view coming home. 

[bic 44]

My wife prefers the aisle, so I get the middle seat 

We used to fly Virgin out of Newark day time flight to London, but they don't have it anymore.  We would fly Premium Economy which has wider seats and only two per row.  So, then I would have the window.  

I'm turning 50, so there may be a first class flight again some day.

[VeryBumpy 272]

7 hours ago, brucets said:

 It has become an such awful and potentially dangerous experience. I really dread going to the airport! May never do it again!

 

Same here. It's not so much the planes or airlines, it's the people, they are now monsters making flights a real test of patience and tolerance.

[bic 44]

I hope your urine color is is clear once you start doing it again.  Darker color is indicative that you are dehydrated and pretty much bad for you.

True ya, since 9/11 the airport experience has gone down the toilet.  Now more and more people have tsa-precheck making it even more crazy.  There are less airlines to choose from-Continental always had a strangle hold on Newark so prices are painful.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

2 hours ago, bic said:

True ya, since 9/11 the airport experience has gone down the toilet.  Now more and more people have tsa-precheck making it even more crazy.  There are less airlines to choose from-Continental always had a strangle hold on Newark so prices are painful.

For you guys, but your only 4.4% of the worlds population, it's not all like that.

We just had our yearly vacation from Wellington to Brisbane and back. It was exactly how air travel is supposed to be. Even the border control guys were talking baseball and hockey with me as they were scanning passports, you know, real people having a conversation. The world is still like that even if it isn't for you guys anymore. 

[magnetite 38]

Last flight I was on back in summer 2011 was a booked window seat right in front of the left engine of a 737-800.

It was this same seat I made a video of the takeoff from Toronto and the landing into Calgary.

Flight was from Calgary->Toronto->Calgary.

[bic 44]

21 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

For you guys, but your only 4.4% of the worlds population, it's not all like that.

We just had our yearly vacation from Wellington to Brisbane and back. It was exactly how air travel is supposed to be. Even the border control guys were talking baseball and hockey with me as they were scanning passports, you know, real people having a conversation. The world is still like that even if it isn't for you guys anymore. 

Last year when leaving Dublin, after getting into the line to check-in, someone approached us and started having a conversation with us.  We thought it was very cool, but realized they were profiling us.  We were completely caught off guard.  The last time I was profiled was in Cairo going to Tel Aviv in 1985, give or take a year, by El Al Airlines.