Is it worth sitting in the exit row on a plane?

For people who value legroom and extra privacy, it may be worth it to pay an extra cost to reserve a seat in the exit row. With that said, passengers sitting in these seats need to keep in mind that they may be called upon in the event of an emergency and what they may need to do in this event.



Sitting in the exit row is often considered the "smart upgrade" for tall travelers or those on long-haul flights, primarily because it offers significantly more legroom than a standard economy seat. Because these rows must remain clear for emergency access, there is no seat directly in front of you in some configurations, or the row in front is spaced much further away. However, it comes with a "legroom versus liability" trade-off: you must be physically able and willing to assist the crew in the event of an emergency evacuation, which involves opening a heavy door and directing passengers. There are also several comforts you may sacrifice: no under-seat storage is allowed during takeoff and landing, the seats are often slightly narrower because the tray tables are stored in the armrests, and the proximity to the exit door can make the seat feel colder and draftier. In 2026, many airlines charge a premium for these seats. If you are a solo traveler who values personal space over storage convenience, it is usually worth the extra cost; however, for families with small children or those wanting a cozy recline, a regular seat may be more comfortable.

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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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What Are the Worst Seats on a Plane?
  • The dreaded middle seat is our pick for the worst seat on a plane. ...
  • Seats towards the back of the plane tend to experience more turbulence than those towards the front. ...
  • An aisle seat located near a bathroom is one of the worst seats on the plane.


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Exit row seats have extra legroom, which is great, although most airlines now charge for them. However, I steer clear of the seats one row in front of the exit row, since these seats have their recline mechanisms disabled so they don't block the emergency exits if people need to leave the plane in a hurry.

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The Worst Seats on an Airplane for Turbulence Therefore, it may be best to avoid seats in the back of the plane, where there seems to be more movement. Although middle seats probably won't mean you'll feel any more or less turbulence, nervous flyers may want to avoid them.

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7 isn't the best row to be seated in on a flight. And the worst isn't row 13. According to flight-comparison web site Skyscanner, the very best seat on a flight is 6A. The web site came to this conclusion via a survey of more than 1,000 people on the subject of seat preferences.

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An exit row is a row of seats on board a commercial airliner that is next to an emergency exit. Exit rows may be next to overwing exits or full-sized exit doors.

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If you're going to sit in economy, you want to be sure you select a Main Cabin Extra seat. These are the best seats you'll find in the rear section of the plane. What makes these seats special is that they have extra pitch — that is, the distance between the seat back of one seat to the seatback of the seat in front.

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Extra legroom
Typically, one of the main reasons people like to sit in the emergency exit row is because they will have more legroom. This is because you will generally find more “pitch” (the distance between seats) in the emergency exit rows.

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It's no colder at an exit seat that at any other seat. Not only is the exit door extremely well insulated and sealed, but the entire cabin has a system that circulates air so the temperature will be roughly the same wherever you sit.

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Some aircraft do have slightly shorter or thinner seat cushions in the exit row. This is usually on aircraft that have over-wing exits where the seat might intrude on the opening.

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“The smoothest place to sit is over the wings,” commercial pilot Patrick Smith, host of AskThePilot.com said. These seats are close to the plane's center of lift and gravity. “The roughest spot is usually the far aft. In the rearmost rows, closest to the tail, the knocking and swaying is more pronounced,” Smith added.

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In North America, think southern exposure - IE, sun will be coming from the South. So if you're flying from the East Coast to the West, the Sun will be on the left side of the plane (facing forward). If you want to avoid the discomfort of bright light and excessive heat, sit on the shady side of the plane.

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So many travelers struggle with this fear, so the best way to cope is to find a seat with plenty of space. The least crowded section of the plane is first or business class. But if upgraded flying isn't in your budget there are still options. Try sitting in an aisle seat in an exit row towards the front of the plane.

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There is a valve on the storage tank that opens when a toilet is flushed and closes when the toilet is not in use – to prevent odours from leaving the tank. This helps to keep the smell down from so many people using the toilet during a flight. The blue chemical helps to keep the smell down as well.

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On an American Airlines Boeing 737-800, for example, the seat-rating site SeatGuru warns of several “bad” seats, denoted in red. They include all the seats in row 30, at the back of the aircraft. The reasons are obvious: Like Conway's, the seats in row 30 are next to lavatories and don't fully recline.

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