Hello: I am trying to help my brother w/ his honeymoon plans. He does not like to fly but is doing so as a gift to his bride. In lieu of this I am trying to find him the best seats that I can on his flights. He is a tall guy who would appreciate as much leg room as possible ( who wouldn't right). He also is prone to motion sickness. Anyway, I thought I'd heard of a site or two that critiques the seat location in various plane types. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If it matters, we're thinking he'll be flying United (Airbus A320-100/200 and Boeing 757-200).

You can try www.seatguru.com if that helps.

Hi

Re your brother's leg room problem - Perhaps talk to the travel agent about his needs or ring the airline direct.

I too suffer from motion sickness (though thankfully not too bad). A friend suggested I try Blackmore's Travel Pills (bought in Australia, but are they international or maybe something similar?) which are ginger based. They really did seem to make a difference.

Hope this helps.

Just thought that I'd echo that I love seatguru that has already been mentioned.

Also, I thought I'd mention what I use for motion sickness. I have purchased the wrist bands that work on pressure points at my local pharmacy. What I like most about them is that they don't cause any unnecessary fatigue that one would get from products like Dramamine. I've had good luck with them on boats and in automobiles. Luckily, planes don't seem to bother me.

I've also heard that ginger snap cookies are a good thing for the tummy. You might put some of them in his carry on since I'm sure he won't be thinking of that just prior to his wedding!

Any aisle seat would be my choice for him (since I'm assuming you mean in the coach cabin, not business or 1st). Exit rows and bulk heads another option. At least on the aisle he can stretch his legs a bit.

I've found seatguru of some help, I'm sure it's the site you are thinking of. It's not as good for international flights as domestic, but since it's United, that may help. I also would think an aisle seat would undoubtedly be best, or bulkhead of course. I personally dislike bulkhead seats for various reasons, and have heard it isn't easy to reserve them (they are often reserved for people with babies).

I am not super sensitive to motion sickness, but can get it on ferries and boats, if the water is rough. I can't read much on enclosed trains, either (like subways), for that reason. I have always found Dramamine to work just fine for me, when I've needed it. Someone above mentioned it can make you sleepy, which can be an advantage if you need to be sleeping on a plane or boat, anyway.

Honestly I think seatguru.com is limited to the info. they provide. The Air France 747-400 I flew on did not have the same seat configuration as what's shown on the seatguru.com website.

Ohhh, MHAG, ginger snap cookies, I have not heard of that one before.

Great tip!

Thanks, Tiff

p.s. Ljyoung, you will LOVE seatguru.com, I use it often and first heard of it here.

I think you will find that most of the spaciest seats are reserved for members of the airline's frequent flyer program. Sometimes they do open up just before the flight, say within 24 hours of pushback.

I think an aisle seat gives no more legroom unless you stick your legs out into the aisle and trip everyone who is trying to walk by.

I think a normal seat has adequate leg room for just about anyone. I know a lot of people disagree, but I suspect they slouch in their seats, or have really big butts, or both.

For a special trip like this, I would look into front-cabin seats. While they are normally quite expensive, there are some affordable ones on occasion, such as when they have a special promotion, or if they offer a highly restricted ticket (non-refundable, penalized for changes, etc.).

Legend has it that seats near the wings are less likely to experience severe motion, but somehow that doesn't seem to apply to the front cabin.

Hi, Liyoung,

I am 6'4, so extra legroom is always a priority for me. Aisle seating is definitely preferred. Flying United's (or anyone else's) Premium Economy is definitely something to look into. For United, Premier (25K mile flyers) can reserve these seats ahead of time. I believe thatUnited also now sells "upgrades" to these seats (from regular economy) for roughly $30 -- check wtih United. As these seats offer an extra 5" of leg room, they are well worth the money.

In terms of bulkhead seats, I generally do not like them because they often have a wall in front of you that actually has very little leg room. The exception would be where an opening is cut in the wall where your feet go (so that your feet can extend beond the wall). www.seatguru.com can provide this kind of information.

Finally, exit row seats are, in my opinion, the best seats on the plane (at least domestically, being my preference even over domestic First Class). On United, at least, these seats can be reserved ahead of time only by Premier Executive (50K+ miles/year) flyers. Often, however, they are freed up on the day of travel (due to not being reserved or due to frequent flyers upgrading to first class). So, it is good to ask if these seats are available when checking in for the flight.

Hope this is helpful.

Happy travels.

John H

All of your posts are sure to be a tremendous help. My brother will truly appreciate your feedback ( just as I do ). Many thanks!