These are the literal hot seats.
While the best airline seats may seem obvious, seating preference often depends on the passenger. As a service to flyers, travel site Upgrade Points surveyed US travelers to see which seats they prefer overall.
“From window seats to exit rows, our airplane seat survey has revealed the preferences and pet peeves of flyers across the nation,” the experts wrote.
To determine the preferred sky thrones, the flight gurus polled 3,142 U.S. travelers for a week from June 14 to June 20. They showed respondents a Boeing 737-800 seat map and had them select their most sought-after seat location.
The survey revealed that seat 1A — a first-class bulkhead window seat — was the top choice among participants. This was perhaps unsurprising given that this spot offers “ample legroom, easy restroom access, a window view and the perk of being one of the first on and off the plane,” per Upgraded Points.
Trailing close behind were 7A and 7F respectively as these coach class seats offer plenty of legroom as well.
“Parents with small kids often favor the bulkhead seats in row 7, as they provide extra space for movement and easier access to overhead bins,” the UP experts wrote. “Additionally, being at the front of a section, bulkhead seats in row 7 often experience less foot traffic, providing a slightly calmer environment for passengers.”
Meanwhile, the 1F (first-class window seat) came in fourth place, followed by 7C (an economy aisle) in fifth.
Clocking in at 6th and 7th place were 4F and 20A (exit row window seats), which UP attributed to the added legroom and the fact that exit rows tend to have more empty seats, therefore providing more space.
In fact, a whopping 41% of respondents were “willing to accept the added responsibility of sitting in an exit row for the extra legroom and the peace of mind from being near a quick exit in case of an emergency,” per the site.
Here are the top 15 most preferred seats:
- 1A — Window
- 7F — Window
- 7A — Window
- 1F — Window
- 7C — Aisle
- 4F — Window
- 20A — Window
- 1B — Aisle
- 4A — Window
- 20F — Window
- 7D — Aisle
- 10A — Window
- 12F — Window
- 2B — Aisle
- 8F — Window
Overall, 66.6% of respondents preferred a window seat, whereas 31.7% preferred an aisle seat. Just 1.7% chose the window seat.
Interestingly, many experts agree that the middle is the safest seat in the event of an emergency.
The majority of the selected seats are located in bulkhead or exit rows. The survey also ranked the preferred seat by state, revealing that New Yorkers prefer seat 4A (a window in the exit row).
The survey also found that 60% of people would pay to choose their seat in advance with US passengers claiming that they’d fork over $33.59 extra for their chair of choice.
As for airlines, Delta took the lead with 33.6% of flyers ranking their airchairs as superior to the rest.
American Airlines and United Airlines tied for second place with 15.9% of respondents declaring their seats the best.
Spirit Airlines and Sun Country Airlines received the lowest ratings, with only 0.3% of travelers claiming to prefer their accommodations.