How do you find a window seat on a plane?

Arrive early at the airport and ask a gate agent for a window seat. At the last minute, you can also attain great assistance from the agent to get a lucky window seat for enjoying the desired travel experience on the plane. They may be able to help if one is available.



The most reliable way to secure a window seat is to select it during the initial booking process using the airline's digital seat map. In 2026, most carriers (including low-cost ones like Ryanair or IndiGo) offer "preferred seating" for a fee, typically ranging from $10 to $40. If you don't want to pay, your next best chance is to check in precisely 24 hours before departure as soon as the window opens; this is when the airline releases the remaining unassigned seats for free. For those looking for a specific view, websites like SeatGuru or AeroLOPA provide detailed layouts of specific aircraft models, highlighting which rows have "misaligned" windows (where you might end up staring at a plastic wall) or which side of the plane offers the best view for a specific route (e.g., the right side for the Manhattan skyline when landing at LGA). If the flight is not full, you can also politely ask the gate agent about a window seat, though success here is less certain than early digital selection.

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Generally, normal aircrafts have ABC and DEF for each side of the aisle. If you want an aisle seat, avoid A seats, since those are located next to the window on most airlines. In jets with three-seat wide rows, C seats and D seats will usually be located closest to the aisle.

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Occasionally, aircraft with a seating structure of 2+2 may letter the seats as ACDF to keep with the standard of A/F being window and C/D being aisle on short-haul aircraft (which generally have 3+3 seats).

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On the flight above, for example, seat 15A is red because there's no window.

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Seat Numbering Viewed from the floor, seats are numbered across the row from left to right, beginning with 1. The rows are numbered from the bottom of the section to the top, also beginning with 1.

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With few exceptions, the A seat will always be by the left window. The F seat will be by the right window in a narrow-body jet with a single aisle. They'll skip numbers to keep the naming scheme correct in smaller jets, often keeping C and D for the aisles.

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So why do planes feature windowless window seats? Nicky Kelvin, Head of The Points Guy UK, said: 'They're often due to the manufacturer using that space to feed through certain avionics (aviation electronics) or essential components such as air-conditioning ducts.

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Window Seat – Pros and Cons: Some people say it helps with claustrophobia. Can be colder as it is usually up against the vents. You do not have to worry about passengers who want to get in and out of their seats. You also have main control over whether to open or close the window shades.

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Seats 23A, B, C, H, J, and K are emergency exit row seats. Armrests are non-movable for all seats in rows 12 and 23 and seats 13D, F, and G. Seats 23A and 23K do not have a window. Monitors are installed in front of rows 12 and 23.

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On the most basic level, the person in the window seat has control over the window shades, and shouldn't need permission from the person in other seats as to how the window shades are kept. The person in the window seat can, within reason, decide if they want the window shade opened or closed during the flight.

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On the majority of Boeing 737-700s, for example, you'll find missing windows on the left-hand side, a bit in front of the wing. This might be anywhere from around row 7 to row 15, though, depending on the airline.

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The best seats on a plane Best seat for peace and quiet: A seat near the front. Best seat for legroom: A bulkhead or exit-row seat. Best seat for sleeping: A window seat in a bulkhead row. Best seat for extra space without a seatmate: A seat towards the back.

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