How do you select your seat? The casual flyer likely will not care as long as they get an aisle or window seat. For the frequent flyer, seat selection means everything. From the front of the airplane to the back, Seatguru helps identify the superior and substandard seats besides in first class.
A good seat is a recliner and bulkhead type with extra legroom and power outlets. A poor seat is one with limited recline and reduced width, usually the first row in front of the exit row and the last row of the airplane.
When I travel with elite status, I prefer the first window seat behind first class because I have extra legroom and I am away from aisle traffic. If unavailable, I search for an aisle seat near the front. The closer your seat is to the front, the faster you get off the plane and the farther you are away from engine noise.
If I do not have status and traveling with carry-on luggage, I favor seats near the middle so I am able to board earlier and guarantee myself space in the overhead compartments. Otherwise, you take the risk of the crew checking in your bag.
Short flights are probably not as important as long flights. If traveling coast to coast or international, I highly recommend finding your airplane on Seatguru before you making your seat selection.
