When I publish my airline reviews, readers sometimes comment about how I typically select seats toward the back of premium cabins, whether in first or business class, and wonder why.
It’s true. I have a strong business class seating preference, and it’s almost always the same, regardless of the configuration. Specifically, I typically like to sit in the last row of business class. Furthermore, I prefer window seats to aisle seats. The side of the aircraft I prefer to sit on varies based on the route, on what side the sun will be during the flight, etc.
My preference is the opposite of the approach most people take, since the typical choice is to sit as far forward as possible. Let me explain why.
In this post:
The benefits of sitting in the back of business class
Admittedly there are so many different cabin configurations out there, so there’s nothing that’s going to be true across airlines and planes. However, here are some of the reasons I generally prefer to sit in the last row of business class:
- Business class seats start filling up from front to back, so your best chances of scoring an empty seat next to you are to sit in the back of the cabin (this is of course a moot point on US airlines, where there’s no such thing as an empty premium seat, due to complimentary upgrades)
- There’s virtually no foot traffic during the flight, since the lavatories are in front of you, and passengers don’t really move between cabins
- As an aviation geek, I love having a view of the engine and wing, and those are generally better the further back you sit
- I always prefer having a bulkhead behind me, since it adds a bit of privacy, and it also means you won’t have someone seated behind you who is constantly pushing their entertainment monitor, resting their feet on your seat, pulling your seat to stand up, etc.
- Since I review airlines, I love being able to observe the service flow throughout the cabin, and that’s easier to do when you’re further back; it’s also easier to snap pictures of the entire cabin while everyone is seated when you can observe the cabin constantly
So yeah, across the board I prefer sitting in the back of business class.
However, I’m particularly a fan of sitting in the back of business class on wide body aircraft with two business class cabins. The rear cabin almost always remains emptier, and feels more private anyway, since there are usually just a few rows at most.
The one exception I’d note to my preference is that we’re increasingly seeing airlines introduce “business class plus” products at the front of business class, offering extra space (and sometimes amenities) at a cost. If those are available and a good value, then of course I prefer the better seat.
The downsides of sitting in the back of business class
While there are plenty of upsides to sitting in the back of the cabin, there are also some downsides, which I’d like to at least acknowledge:
- Often times the first row of economy (right behind business class) is for bassinets, so there’s a risk of having a screaming baby behind you; fortunately I’ve rarely found this to be an issue
- For situations where there are two business class cabins, generally everyone boards past you in the rear cabin, making the boarding experience much more hectic
- It can be louder in the back of business class, since you’re closer to the engine (personally I don’t view this as a negative, since I sleep with a white noise machine at home anyway)
- Every airline has a different policy on how meal orders are taken, though on some airlines meals are prioritized front to back, which is tricky if you’re seated in the last row
- In some situations there might be lavatories right behind a cabin, and in those situations, it may be worth reconsidering this strategy
Bottom line
Everyone has different airplane seating preferences. In business class, most people seem to try to sit as far forward as possible, while I take the opposite approach, and try to sit in the back. This applies whether we’re talking about a narrow body plane, or a wide body plane with multiple business class cabins.
When sitting in the back you have better odds of having an empty seat next to you, us avgeeks typically have a better view of the wing and engine, and I also enjoy watching the service flow in the cabin. I can’t count the number of flights I’ve taken where I had the last several rows of business class nearly to myself, while every seat was taken in the forward part of the cabin.
Do you have a general business class seating preference?
Less felt turbulence over the plane’s center of gravity at the back of the business cabin.
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.
What a refreshing point to note …. No website trolls harassing other contributors on this subject …. the mind boggles! …. :-)
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.
"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
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.
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.
1A for my wife. 2A for me. That is with a 1-2-1 seat plan.
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.
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...
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 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 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.
As a side sleeper with large feet, the extra large bulkhead footwell is important to me.
Same! Sad when airlines just let the space go to waste and have the same footwell as every other seat
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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
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!
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.
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...
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