My Unusual Business Class Seat Preference: Back To Front!

On short transatlantic redeyes I like to sit as close to front without being directly behind the galley (especially on US airlines where it can be very bright and loud). I want to be served my meal and get horizontal as quickly as possible.

You’ve basically finished your Atlantic crossing if you’re in the last row of United’s premium heavy 767s before your dinner is served.

Americans 777 with biz have a great mini front cabin behind first but in front of bathroom and galley so no foot traffic, served quickly, and pretty quiet.

But really the biggest factor for pleasant flight is who is sitting around me haha and how loud/obnoxious they are

In BA short-haul, if you seat at the back of the cabin, the wait to get any meal or drink is an absolute nightmare!

Another benefit of sitting near the back of the BC cabin is when you exit out of 2L instead of 1L and you get off the plane sooner

If I have a connection at Heathrow, which happens periodically as I usually fly One World, I sit left side close to door. Because no matter what, the connection experience at LHR is a disaster and every minute counts.

If you're waiting for anything more than a shortbread biscuit and a bottle of water in BA Economy, then you'll be very old before you get anything.

They usually run out of the best entrees after serving the first row. You run the risk of having to settle for food you don’t like.

As a side sleeper with large feet, the extra large bulkhead footwell is important to me.

I personally don't really have a preference where to sit. It really depends on what view I'm feeling, whether it's by the flaps, by the engine, in front of the engine, etc. And whether the aircraft has a mini-cabin or not wouldn't affect my decision.

Now whether I sit port or starboard side is a different story; that would depend on the city I'm taking off from, time of year, etc. E.g. from HKG, if I'm flying to say anywhere in Japan in the fall during rush hour , 07C/07R is usually used, so I would try to snag a seat on the starboard side as I can get a nice view of downtown and potentially a parallel takeoff. It also really depends on the landing which could be trickier to predict.

Definitely agree on the window seats and sitting in a “mini cabin” if there is one.
Some other considerations for me are:
- On aircraft without F, I find it oddly satisfying to sit in 1A.
- If bulkhead seats offer bigger footwells or otherwise more space, they’re an obvious choice to me.
- I try to anticipate the service flow and choose a seat that’ll get me my meal early on. Not sure if that’s still the case (haven’t flown them in a while), but in LH J, one FA used to be in charge of 12 pax. By counting seats, I tried to be among the first to get served.
- If there’s J on the 747 upper deck, that’s where you’ll find me.
- Then there are the obvious considerations like proximity to galleys and lavs.

I don't remember the last time I didn't have a pre-order meal option in J/F. I always take an aisle seat on narrowbodies, usually row 2. I never take row 1; I don't have long legs and my only carryon fits in front of me just fine. Depending on the design, I avoid the last row if Y or Y+ is right behind with no barrier. I will recline and figure I'm less likely to get a jerk reaction when I do.

And, I take the first row in AF's new 359s and AA's new 789s for the free extra room. On 1-2 narrowbodys, I take the "1" side (duh). On 1-2-1 international J, I'm on the "1" side.

1A for my wife. 2A for me. That is with a 1-2-1 seat plan.

It's one thing to have a view of the wing and engine, but on some planes with large business cabins are you not OVER the wing? I don't like that because it limits the view of the ground you are flying over--the main reason i like window seats in the first place.

Same! Sad when airlines just let the space go to waste and have the same footwell as every other seat

Eh, I'd say this depends. If you're on a long haul and the back row of business has a bathroom behind you (and not just a galley) then you get people standing around you and the (ahem) smell of a bathroom that has been less than gently used for 12 hours wafts right to your seat. Put me in the middle of business, thank you very much.

"since it adds a bit of privacy"

Love ya Ben and all that you provide: but I'll forever be amused by the lengths you go to, to convince yourself of having "privacy!" in a confined space where everyone has eyesight and access to, everything. LOL

Maybe short-haul, which I don't do much of there.

I've had plenty of long-haul connections at Heathrow over the last few years, and never had a problem with any of them; and only had to rush with 1, but that was a result of our inbound flight arriving way late, nothing to do with Heathrow itself.

Taking the last row window seat for AA's Concept D seats on the 788/772 is an absolute MUST. These seats are individually mounted and avoid the "rock and roll" problem that all the others have (where you feel every movement of the paired seat that shares a wall)

Every time I screw up, I feel much better when I realize I wasn't the person who approved/proposed Concept D.

What a refreshing point to note …. No website trolls harassing other contributors on this subject …. the mind boggles! …. 🙂

Thousands of people per day go between Terminals 3 & 5 to connect. The planes/trains/busses system to do it is a masterpiece of inefficiency. Then there are the BA gatekeepers who pass judgement on whether you have enough time to make your connection or you are turned away at security. Yes, sometimes you have 6 hours but many times it’s very tight, BA won’t let you have less than 90 minutes to do it and honestly that’s barely enough many days. Sadly I can say trust me on this.

I'd need a major upside to give up "turn left" boarding. I love having the ability to get settled at my own pace and move around while the rest of the plane boards.

As far as privacy goes, I wonder why no one has made an after-market elastic cord curtain "door" for Polaris and/or Delta One. Seems like something light that could fold very small... Though I suppose if they became popular there's end up being a rule forbidding them.

Less felt turbulence over the plane’s center of gravity at the back of the business cabin.

And how hot they are!