Everyone knows the heart-sinking feeling of being wedged between passengers with no regard for others – but one ex-cabin crew reveals a simple hack to avoid this situation
One of the worst parts of any flight is having to sit next to annoying passengers. Whether they’re playing videos out loud, taking off their shoes or squishing past you to go to the toilet every five minutes, they can turn even the shortest journeys into a never-ending nightmare.
Luckily, an experienced flight attendant has revealed the best seats to book if you want to have the best chance of enjoying an entire row to yourself. Jeenie, who has more than 10 million followers on TikTok, regularly doles out flying advice. According to her, the best seat to book on the plane is the back row of any section. She told HuffPost UK: “You can book seats in the very back of the plane if not in a rush to disembark, as there is a higher chance you will get a full row to yourself.”
Although, she emphasised that this choice is only good for short-haul flights. This is because back row seats either don’t have the option to recline or offer a very limited amount of recline which may not be ideal for long journeys. It also means that you will be the last to be let off the plane, which can be frustrating after a long journey or if you’re in a rush to get somewhere once you land.
If you’re about to get on a longer flight, Jeenie actually warns that you should avoid the back row altogether. She said, “My top tip would be not to pick seats on the back row of any section, as these seats either don’t recline or have limited option to recline.” If your priority while flying is to make sure you get the meal that you want, she instead recommends booking a seat on one of the front rows. This ensures that they won’t have run out of your favourite items. Equally, it gives you easy access to the toilet and to off-boarding, meaning you can get your luggage much faster.
More useful hacks
As an extra hack, she added: “If you are still hungry after your meal, you can come to the galley and ask the flight attendant for any leftover meals, they will give it to you as it’ll be trash anyways.”
For those struggling to fit all of their clothes into your suitcase, she shared another clever workaround. “I stuff a pillowcase with clothes or even a jacket, to save space in my luggage and to create the perfect in-flight pillow,” she said. “It means not only can you pack more clothes, but you can sleep more comfortably onboard.”
If you’re looking to bag a cheap business class deal, Jeenie also provided some helpful tips. She advised that passengers should book their flights in January, as it is the cheapest month to travel in premium classes. Equally, if you’re looking to get an upgrade, she recommended moving to the front of the plane and making it known to staff that you’re willing to move.
She explained, “When I travel solo, I politely let the gate agent know that I’m travelling alone, and if a family needs to sit together I don’t mind ‘moving my seat up towards the front of the plane’ or ‘in an exit row’, so that the families have the ability to sit together. I’ve been moved up a few times offering this.”
