Travel expert Ricky Durrance of Teletext Holidays has revealed the best seats to book on a plane for nervous flyers. Choosing the right seat can make a significant difference to how passengers feel during a flight.
Best seats for anxious flyers
For anxious flyers, Ricky recommends choosing an aisle seat positioned over the wing. He explained: "Physics dictates that wing seats are the best choice for nervous flyers, because the wing sits roughly at the aircraft's centre of gravity, so you experience less of the see-saw effect of turbulence."
He added: "And an aisle seat means that you don’t feel quite so boxed in. Although, as with car sickness, travelling by the window can sometimes help because seeing the horizon reflects what your body is feeling."
Seats near cabin crew
For especially nervous flyers, Ricky suggested booking a seat within sight of the cabin crew jump seat. He said: "They can't provide constant reassurance during the flight, but it can feel better knowing that you’re close to trained professionals."
For those mainly concerned about turbulence, the wing is again the go-to choice. Ricky said: "If your main concern is turbulence rather than anxiety, the wing is again your go-to. While there’s no way to avoid turbulence altogether, the wing is the most stable part of the aircraft."
Seats to avoid
Ricky also shared which seats to avoid. "The very back of the aircraft is where you’ll feel the most movement during turbulence," he said. "And you may wait longer to disembark." He added that these seats "often have limited or no recline, are closest to the toilets and galley, and can be noisier with more foot traffic."
He advised against booking seats next to the toilets, as "this is the busiest part of the plane, and you could be disturbed." He also cautioned against bulkhead rows, explaining: "These seats usually offer extra legroom, but they also have fixed armrests, which aren’t always comfortable. And hand luggage usually has to be stored in the overhead lockers for take-off and landing."
Exit rows, which offer more legroom, are not always suitable either. "The legroom is a huge draw, but these seats are not suitable for anyone with reduced mobility," he shared.
Considering seat choice carefully could make a huge difference to how passengers feel during the journey and help ward off flight anxiety.
