A cabin crew instructor with Wizz Air has shared his favourite seats on a plane and revealed the best option for securing free benefits. Gabriel Randone, who trains cabin crew for the budget airline, told the Mirror that as a passenger he personally loves being in the front row. This seat offers extra legroom and other perks, including being the first to disembark and having a reserved overhead compartment.
Front Row Seats and Premium Options
According to Wizz Air's website, front-row seats are classified as premium seats. Other good options include other premium seats at the front of the plane and extra-legroom seats in the emergency exit rows. Usually, passengers need to pay more for these seats, but Randone explained that sometimes they can be moved to emergency exit rows for free.
"Sometimes, because the flights might not be fully booked, there would be no one close to the emergency exits. So what we need to do is to select someone who we call an ABP - an able-bodied person - and move them close to the emergency exits so that they can help out in case of an emergency," Randone said. He added: "Now, statistically, emergencies are quite rare so that is basically an upgrade."
Eligibility for Emergency Exit Rows
Not everyone is eligible for these unofficial upgrades. The Wizz Air website states: "For safety purposes, regulations prohibit passengers under 16 years old, overweight passengers, individuals with special needs, expectant mothers and those travelling with infants (under two years old) from occupying Extra Legroom or Front Row seats." Randone explained that these policies are implemented to ensure the safety of everyone onboard. In case of an emergency evacuation, passengers seated in the emergency rows will be instructed to open the doors and will have been briefed about this at the start of the flight.
Personal Preference of a Window Seat
Despite the benefits of the front row, Randone admitted that when he travels and can choose a seat, he prefers a window seat. "But to be honest, when I do travel - and I can choose to book a seat - I will book any window seat," he said.
