Is there a reason not to sit in the first row behind 1st Class? It's always the last one filled. Isn't it a little bigger?

riollano:
it's not popular because you have a wall in front of you and may not be able to place your belongings under the seat. I never seat there but if I am not mistaken, it may be hard to watch tv from there. Go to www.seatguru.com and check out the seating arrangments for most airlines, you may be able to get some ideas here. Hope this helps.
Gina

Yes, the bulkhead seat usually has more legroom, but there's no seat in front of you to put anything under. Sometimes you can put your purse, briefcase, or whatever under your own seat if you have room, but if the person behind you has something stashed under your seat then you have to put everything in the overhead. And if they're following the traditional back-of-the-place-loads first and it's a full flight, then the overhead is probably full by the time you get on.

So it boils down to whether you're worried about where to put carry-on luggage.

Upside -- generally more legroom, and no one front to recline into you.

Downside -- no accessible storage within reach, so you end getting up to the overhead bin if you need things.

Most people like the bulkhead seat. If they are the last to fill, it may be because the airline holds them for premium customers.

They generally try to fill the plane from the back. They sometimes save it for seniors. But yes, it usually has extra legroom. They often won't book it in advance. The only negatives >there's no tray table from the seat in front
>no underseat in front of you storage
>in a plane without individual tv screens that's showing a movie, it may be too close to watch a movie

I always thought the airlines held the bulkhead seats for handicapped passengers and/or families with small children.

Actually, if it's a fixed bulkhead and not a curtain, legroom is often considerably less than farther back, because you can't put your feet inder the seat in front of you. It's true you won't have anybody reclining into you, but if you want to stretch your legs you have to stand up.

Also some planes have lavs at the front of the economy section, so as with the last rows, you can get people queuing up to use the loo standing next to you and reading your newspaper second hand.

And, of course, no under-seat storage.

In my experience whether or not the bulkhead row affords extra legroom depends on the airline and their own particular seating configuration.

Last year I got stuck in a Continental airlines bulkhead row and it seemed as if I had LESS, rather than more, legroom.

The bulkhead row is not always the last one filled. If a "premium" frequent flyer is allowe to board before others and has a seat in that row it will be filled before others.

Because of the non-availability of a seat in front of you to stretch your legs and the non-availability of storage space under a seat in front of you I try to avoid the bulkhead row whenever I can.

thanks everyone

I prefer to have a seat in front of me, place to slow my carry-on, normal flip down tray, sometimes even a foot-rest, etc.

I fly bulkhead whenever possible.

With US Airways, Bulkhead boards with FC and the premium level FFs. Only once have I found bulkhead to have less room than the other rows. I like to prop my feet up on the wall.

I disagree - I hate the bulkhead seats for a couple of reasons.

IMHO there is LESS leg room - not more- since you can;t put your feet under the seat in front of you.

No place to put your carry-on (under your seat is the space for the person behind you) - and you often get on last - so you're often scrambling for room

Greater chance of being seated next to or across from people travleing with toddler/baby (they give them bulkheads when they can).

What I want is the aisle seat in the emergency row.

I think these seats are for elderly and passengers with babies, at least this is what I usually see.

I used to choose the bulkhead seats all the time. You do have to put things up above - but they used to have more leg room when I flew regularly. The only drawback I discovered was on an overseas flight. The armrests don't lift up (since it holds the tray) and there was less mobility. This was in the days of half-empty widebodied planes, so I just went futher back in the plane to stretch out on the middle seats to catch some shut eye.

We didn't book our tickets with the 1st row behind Business class, but we ended up with them because we missed our connection due to weather. Our flight was transatlantic Dallas-London and I LOVED the leg room! Both husband and I could tell a difference in these seats versus the other coach seats. At least it made missing 1 night in Amsterdam worth our while by scoring those seats.

I would take issue that there is more leg room in that first row. There may be more "knee" room -- in other words, no seats that close to you, but the problem for me is that you can't extend your feet forward as far as in a regular seat when you can actually put them under the seat in front of you.

Although I understand ilovetulips comment, as there is a lot more leg room period -- probably including that bulkhead row -- on most international planes. I am mainly referring to domestic flights.

I have reserved these seats before and happy with them. But a few times we were kicked out of the seats to accomadate folks in wheel chairs and familys with small children. So the 2 of us ended up being separated on the flights.

Like Dukey says, too many variables. Totally depend on airline and plane type.

For example, on Continental's 767-200, there are cutouts in the divider so there's storage and room for feet for those in Row 16 (first row of coach).

I love the bulkhead. Generally the attendant is more accessible, in addition too all the leg room. But I travel very light.