Business Travel Tips: Pick a Good Plane Seat

Once you have chosen your carrier, pick your seat! With so many companies cutting back on business class, choosing a seat has become far more important.

So if you plan to work while flying, there are plenty of considerations. The first, says Matt Daimler, is the airline: “There are significant differences in seat pitch or spacing. With value carriers you usually get a couple of inches less. This can make it very hard to open a reasonably sized laptop.”

Next, look at power points – some airlines have sockets in every row, others in only the first few rows.

Once you have chosen your carrier, pick your seat. Many sites have seating plans for most carriers. Bulkhead and exit rows are likely to have more legroom. Conversely, seats closest to the loo and galleys are to be avoided.

For those flying business class, the main differentiator is the bed. “It is worth finding airlines that have real beds [in business]. Flat beds are great,” says Mr Daimler.

For the economy-class traveller, Mr Daimler advises checking in online to reserve the best seat. But, he adds, it is always worth looking out for bargain upgrades, even as late as the gate. “There are no bad seats in business,” he says.