# Airline flights --- window or aisle seat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 9, 2007, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740 "2007-11-09T01:42:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ignis\_glaciesque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ignis\_glaciesque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignis_glaciesque)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/1 "2007-11-09T01:42:03Z")
When taking a flight, do you prefer the window or the aisle seat? Myself, I love window seats. I’m a big aviation nut, and I love seeing what’s going on outside, especially when I get a seat with a view of the wing and engine. The view is breathtaking, especially when we’re flying over something that’s not horizon-to-horizon cornfields or ocean. Aisle seats just bore me to tears; I always switch them if I can. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/2 "2007-11-09T01:45:02Z")
Window seat, always a window seat. I don’t think I’ve ever flown and not had the window seat. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/3 "2007-11-09T01:51:04Z")
Bulkhead, ftw! I like the window, even though I hate flying. I like making sure the wing isn’t falling off or something. My SO and I usually book the window and the aisle in hopes that no one will pick the lone center seat and we get an entire row. ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/4 "2007-11-09T02:17:15Z")
Aisle seat, simply because it’s that much easier to get to the lavatory if/when I need to. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/5 "2007-11-09T02:19:53Z")
Window seat. I’m not a frequent pee-er, and I’d rather climb over someone than be climbed over anyway. Besides, when you’re looking and staring at the ground, it’s so easy to drift off, especially since you have something to lean on. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/6 "2007-11-09T02:25:16Z")
Window seat for sure. Especially a seat near the wing, so I can check for gremlins. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/7 "2007-11-09T02:25:40Z")
Anything but the middle seat. I’m too wide not to have at least a couple of extra inches to one side or the other. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/8 "2007-11-09T02:29:55Z")
Window seat, at the wing, so I can keep an eye on the engines. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/9 "2007-11-09T02:33:31Z")
Never window or aisle, I always ask for front. I can’t stand it when I have to sit in the back of the plane and wait for the people in front of me to find their carry ons. So, I ask fr the front of the aircraft. SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/10 "2007-11-09T02:50:58Z")
Aisle, always. I’m mildly claustrophobic anyway, and being hemmed in by two people against a wall just adds to my discomfort. If I have space to swing an elbow, I feel better. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/11 "2007-11-09T02:59:46Z")
Window on short (4 hours or less) flights, aisle on anything longer than that. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/12 "2007-11-09T03:08:33Z")
Window as close to the front as available. If possible on the side with 2 seats instead of 3. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/13 "2007-11-09T03:14:00Z")
Window. I can gawk while it’s interesting. Then lean and sleep. And only Shatner tries to climb over me. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/14 "2007-11-09T03:27:30Z")
Aisle. I’m marginally claustrophobic, so I hate being buried in the inside seat. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/15 "2007-11-09T03:29:55Z")
Emergency exit row, please. On the aisle. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/16 "2007-11-09T03:32:05Z")
Aisle. I hate being crammed in the window seat, and if I have to get up from there it’s such a hassle for me and for anybody else on the row. Also, I’m a somewhat nervous flyer and I don’t want to look outside, especially if we’re turning (yes, I know intellectually it’s safe enough but I still really don’t like looking out the window during a turn). The only time I do want to look out is if there’s something interesting to look at, which doesn’t happen all that often. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/17 "2007-11-09T03:41:19Z")
Another vote for the aisle seat. I don’t have a problem looking out of the window (in fact, I prefer it), but I don’t like people pressing me against it. If I’m flying with someone I know, the window seat is OK, but otherwise, aisle please. I recently came to the same conclusion about riding on the commuter train, FWIW. I won’t sit in an inside seat if it involves sitting next to someone I don’t know. I don’t like feeling pressed between a stranger and the wall/window. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/18 "2007-11-09T03:54:11Z")
Always aisle. I think most people who fly a lot prefer it. You don’t see that much out the window except during takeoff and landing, and it’s easier to get up and move around, especially if you’re my size. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/19 "2007-11-09T03:59:17Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] And only Shatner tries to climb over me. [/QUOTE] 🙂 I know that’s why **Czarcasm** has to keep an eye on the engines! Window for me. I rarely go anywhere that requires a flight long enough that I have to worry about squeezing past people to pee. I love looking out the window, even if all I’m seeing is the top of the cloud layer. The last time I flew, as we were dropping down to lower altitudes for the landing, I saw a wind farm. That was _very_ cool! ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740/20 "2007-11-09T04:14:23Z")
When I was young I always wanted the window seat, but now that seats are getting smaller and smaller, I want the aisle so there’s at least some hope of stretching my legs if I can’t get a bulkhead seat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-flights-window-or-aisle-seat/425740.md?page=2)