These Are the Best Seats to Book If You Have a Tight Connection
They're not always the obvious ones.
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When it comes to a tight connection, choosing the right seat is crucial. In a situation where so much is out of your control, this is one part of the process you can determine.
Per the airline compensation company AirAdvisor's recent guide to the best seats on an airplane, the best seat for passengers making a quick connection is an aisle near the front of an aircraft. After talking to experts, we agree—that gives you the best chance at making a quick exit. But if an aisle isn't available, a middle or a window up front will do, too, as you'll likely make it off the plane more quickly than those in the back, even if they're on the aisle.
You also can get a little help from the flight attendants, no matter where you're seated.
"When there are a few passengers with very tight connections, a flight attendant will make an announcement stating for passengers to remain seated when the seatbelt sign goes off, so that passengers with a tight connection can deplane first," former flight attendant Susan Fogwell tells T+L. Of course, not every passenger will comply, but the announcement can certainly help. While flight attendants are usually aware of tight connections, it doesn't hurt to mention it at some point during the flight as a reminder.
But something you might not have considered is that not every plane deplanes passengers from the very front of the aircraft.
"On a 757, the first row in economy is at the deplaning door," says Fogwell. Premium seats are located forward of the deplaning door, so you might actually be better off sitting in economy than business class!
Fogwell also points out that some planes use a rear deplaning door — it happens more frequently outside of North America, specifically when you're deplaning via stairs rather than a jet bridge. In that case, passengers in the back of the plane might get off fastest! It's hard to predict if a rear deplaning door will be used, though, so it's probably better to sit up front anyway.
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