gail

Never sat in exit row, but have seat there for flight this weekend - meet all criteria airline sets - but wondering if there is anything new/annoying/informative I should know. Flight is only 2 1/2 hrs - ATL BOS on Delta.

ms_go

I've had a few exit row seats this year, and aside from the extra legroom, don't find it much different. I think there was an extra step in the online check-in procedure where I had to read the list of requirements and confirm that I was able and willing to perform as required. And I've had flight attendants come by during boarding to confirm that those in the exit row have read the card, will comply, etc.

As far as the seats, it depends on the plane of course. Some exit rows are bulkheads and have no underseat storage. On some planes, there are two consecutive exit rows, and if you are in the first of these, the seat may not recline much. The tray tables are in the armrest, so the seat may be slightly narrower. I'd look at seatguru for the specifics for your type of plane/seat.

The only annoying thing I experienced in an exit row seat this year had nothing to do with the exit row -- it was the screaming, tantrum-throwing toddler in the row behind who nailed me in the head with his pacifier twice in 10 minutes.

gail

Thanks for the info - seems seat will be fine and just checked on seat guru and they agree.

Regarding toddler - I thought that was what exit door was for - to pitch such kids out mid-flight.

wally34949

Could be chilly by the emergency door. I was at the Dallas airport yesterday and all the young girls were in flip flops (guys too) and short shorts. I was freezing with my long pants and shoes on.

You won't catch me streaking at that airport. That shrinkage factor!

gail

If I ever streaked at an airport it would prompt an emergency security evacuation it would be such a terrifying sight.

wally34949

I figure with airport security, eventually, we will be required to wear a full body suit that shows all of our bulges. We might as well turn up the temperature and streak!

Jed

I love exit rows for the few extra inches of leg and knee room.

gail

Was a little concerned about no underseat storage since I thought I would only have carry-on. Am returning from one-way drive Boston-Savannah to drop son at college again and was just informed I am hauling home 3 wrenches, and assorted other tools that will be unlikely allowed in carry-on (husband is loaning them to so to assemble his weight bench and demands I bring them home with me). So much for packing light.

rkkwan

What seat, what plane type, and have you read up on seatguru.com?

El_Swainer

If you are really worried about under-the-seat storage I am SURE someone in a middle seat would be willing to swap seats with you!

Seamus

Why would you not have underseat storage in an exit row? If it is the configuration where you are in a window seat and the row immediately in front of you has no window seat, there is a window seat in the row ahead of that one - and that's the seat under which you store your stuff. Quite often I sit in this type exit row seat and only once has the person in the middle seat in front of me gotten a little pissy because they thought they should be able to store things in both the seat in front of them AND "my space" under the one to the right. This person was either (a) having an incredibly bad day or (b) a congenital bitch or (c) both, and actually shouted at me to remove my things from under the window seat so she could stash her stuff there, leaving the underseat space in front of her empty. When I declined - politely though through clenched teeth - she summoned a FA, who basically told her "when we say your store your things beneath the seat IN FRONT of you we mean just that, not under the seat next to you." Ms. social graces was not pleased but had enough sense to give up at that point, and I have not again encountered this situation.

ms_go

<i>Why would you not have underseat storage in an exit row?</i>

There are some exit row seats that are bulkheads with no seats in front of them. I just sat in one a couple of weeks ago -- row 9A-C on a United 757. Everything had to go in the overheads.

gail

Flew in exit row today on MD-80. There was lots of underseat storage in front of me and about 1 1/2 times leg room of any other row. Tables were still on seat back in front of me. FA's extra checking of us was to dig the safety card out of the pocket and hand it to us and say &quot;read about the door&quot;

Seamus

ms_go - you are right, all exit rows are not the same. I was talking about the configuration where there IS a row of seats in front of you, but the window seat is absent, not a bulkhead exit. Typically these are located mid-cabin, usually near the wing.
The other downside to bulkead exit can be that if you are in the window seat the bottom part of the door (with emergency exit equipment such a a slide or raft) sometimes extends into your footspace.
I've come to rely on seatguru.com to check out configuration when choosing seats since there is so much variation.