SultanOfSwing

That's the reason I prefer the aisle seats - so I can nip off to the bog any time I like without having to deal with climbing over people. Obviously it helps that I'm rarely traveling by myself so anyone on the inside of me is going to be my wife and my daughter (my son will always choose to go by himself so I never get displaced). But if I'm traveling alone, the aisle is basically a necessity on any flight over 2 hours where I'm going to be drinking something. I've done the window seat/hold it in transatlantic crossing before and I'm not about to again

Steerpike

I always pay extra for window seats up front, with middle seats being my least favorite. On my recent return from UK through Philly, the plane was delayed out of Manchester and I missed my connection in Philly. They re-booked me automatically on a later flight, for which I was thankful, but I ended up in a middle seat. Boy, that was tough! 5 hours in a middle seat was no fun. I need to remember to pursue a refund since I paid extra for the original window seat ...

On the Manchester / Philadelphia flight, the outer seats were 2x only, so only one 'neighbor' to deal with. Worked out well as he was an active young man.


You have a good writing style. You should turn this into a novel!

petitefrancaise

I don't why I do it to myself but.... those books purporting to tell us about how French women stay slim, look amazing and their kids never misbehave.

Most of them are a load of complete and utter bollocks. The latest one I stupidly got from the library was from the woman who started the "Caudalie" beauty products range. I like their products, or at least I did until I read the book! How do french women stay slim? If you read the books you'll think that they never diet, eat perfectly, exercise a bit everyday and have perfect self-control over dietary habits. WRONG. WRONG, WRONG. They diet constantly - in January in particular the pharmacies are full of drinks/shakes/tablets to help you lose weight, all complete rubbish of course. French women mostly work and do most of the childcare/housework. You can drop your 3 year old off at ecole maternelle at 7.00am and leave them there until 5.00 so that you can work. They don't have time or energy to "walk briskly for 30 minutes every day during lunch" because lunchtime is when they have time to go out and buy groceries for the evening meal. French women smoke to alleviate hunger. And if they should dare to put on a kilo then their husbands/partners/work colleagues will quickly tell them about it, then along comes "maman" with dire warnings about how hubbie will find a younger/thinner woman if you don't get your act together quickly....
Well behaved kids? Well at meal times yes, in queues yes but from what I saw it's because they are afraid of their parents' wrath if the kiddoes dare to embarrass them.
The only thing so far out of this book I agree with is that french women don't snack between meals.
Ines de la Fresange wrote a good book full of good stuff. Like if you are worried about wrinkles - take a step back from the mirror!

livinginnyc

I love window seats (especially for the Newark side landing and the NYC view) - so always book it and then have buyers remorse around the second hour into the flight when the inevitable happens and I have slide past strangers 'row buddies' either watching a movie or trying to sleep.

I must admit though, the last few flights I've had, the airplanes have been empty so I've had an entire row to myself... hording the pillows to build a bed (or mini pillow fort ). Tis all good till the turbulence comes.

SultanOfSwing

I like to look out the window on takeoff and landing but if there's even a small chance I'll need the toilet during cruise, I'll grab an aisle. Short hops are always window seats though.

I love empty flights, I had one coming over here one year (it was in January, on a Thursday, so not exactly prime tickets) and it was great. 8 hours with nobody next to me. I think there were about 20 people on the whole plane. That's quite a lot of extra space on a 767. I had a window seat, too

livinginnyc

Yup yup, I used to actively seek out 8pmish flights out of Heathrow when I used to come to NYC to visit to
a) pray for emptier flights (being one of the last flights into Newark also had perks of empty immigration lines),
b) leave work early,
c) pack sweatpants and a comfy hoodie in my carryon in the hopes of an empty flight.

Used my amex loungeclub to get into the servisair lounge too so I could take advantage of the free wifi (monitor emails/spotify) and free wine.

Wish I'd have figured that routine out earlier. Worst flight I ever did was Heathrow to Korea and connect down to Busan... 21 hours of straight flying (then a long train journey), middle seat and meal option of fried Octopus or a sandwich

SultanOfSwing

Most of the flights I take are ones that are also quite popular with lots of other people too. Given we tend to fly in the summer, close to July 4th, it sort of makes sense.

I did learn on my last trip that the 6am flight to Toronto out of O'Hare isn't that popular. 8 people on an ERJ-190 (basically a 737). That being said, the flight from Toronto to Edmonton was absolutely chock full, so you win some, you lose some.

Dare I ask what was in the sandwich?

moneypenny20

Me and the husband had a minor 'domestic' before a flight a few years back. He'd got the window seat which I wanted and I had the aisle seat which would suit him but he was in holiday mode so being argumentative for the hell of it and the girls were joining in. Attracted a bit of attention Anyway got on the plane, had a shove party I got the seat which I was always going to have anyway only to find it was the only inside seat that didn't have a window. The indent was there but no fricking window. Caused much entertainment whilst I bitched quite loudly. Window seats are very overrated, especially when there isn't a bloody window.

livinginnyc

Think it was dehydrated chicken curry. Either way, I traded my main to another passenger for his muffin. Was a needs-must situation.

The other meals they served (Korean Air actually have their staff constantly walking the cabin to see if everyone's OK) were actually good, and they were constantly coming around with bags of peanuts, crisps.etc

SultanOfSwing

If I'm being honest, I can't remember a single vacation we've gone on where my wife and I don't have some kind of an argument but that one wins hands down.

Especially the ending of utter disappointment when you didn't even get the window

SultanOfSwing

A dehydrated chicken curry sandwich? You know what, I'd give it a go (provided I had an aisle seat )

I have heard that Korean Air do have good service, though. Not that I can remember being on a flight where the service was bad.

livinginnyc

Ouch! I got a window seat once that looked out over the wing. During the last stages of the flight, I was desperately trying to see out and around and the random to the right assumed I was an aviation enthusiast so started describing the flight avionics as if IGAF. He didn't pick up on the loud sighing. I just wanted to see the sea.

My first flight into NYC, I was so excited with the view though I actually turned round to the random person sitting next to me and pulled him to the window to share the wonder of what turned out to be the city he was born and raised in. I think he only went with it as he thought I was a crazy person and he had no clear escape route. Either way, was a magical experience for me. Didn't see him again once the doors opened.

SultanOfSwing

I like to get seats with views of the wings so I can watch the flaps extend and the spoilers deploy on landing

I keep it to myself, though. I still get stupidly excited on takeoff, everyone's just sitting around doing there thing and there's me with a massive shit-eating grin on my face as we speed down the runway

livinginnyc

Northwest airlines/NWA. I've only flown with them twice, and both times ended up spending a night in the Hilton due to plane problems. Once onboard, the staff didn't care and the planes were *old*.

Virgin I've never had a bad experience with (and got bumped up on my K1 flight - which was amazing). I've flown with Thomas Cook and Ryanair too. Thomas Cook was fine and Ryanair - you know what you're getting from the price.

SultanOfSwing

I never flew with NWA. My K1 flight was on Continental (right after they added the Belfast-Newark route). Service was fine but I'm never flying 8 hours on a 757 again if I can possibly avoid it.

The best service I have experienced was with BA. Air Canada just edges out BA for in flight entertainment though. Full per-seat IFE on the O'Hare-Toronto lake hop? You bet.