On an American Airlines
If legroom is what you're after, you'll want to look for a seat in the first row (the bulkhead) of the aircraft or the exit rows. If you're flying on a Boeing 737-700, the absolute most legroom is in seat 12A which is missing the seat in front of it.
The Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts are returning to the skies. If there is an aircraft that you want to avoid it is this one. The 737MAX has been responsible for the deaths of 346 people in 2 separate plane accidents.
The quietest place on the aircraft is the one where you're wearing noise-cancelling headphones. An article on Daily Mail reveals that aisle seats in the front rows are quiter. The numbers of quite rows for Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 are also explicitly mentioned in that article.
Make sure you avoid the middle section of the plane ( about 9-15 but row numbers vary from airline to airline so check on Seat Guru) as these seats are over the wing and all you see is the wing and the engine.
Much like the best seats for travel sickness are the seats above the coach wheels, the best seats to help lessen the effects of air turbulence is over the aircraft wings. The wings are the point of lift vs gravity so sitting above them ensures a smoother lift off, flight, and landing. Avoid the rear of the plane.
Middle section. This section is stationed directly over the wings, the most stable area of the plane and center of lift, so sitting here makes for the smoothest ride should the plane hit turbulence.
The middle seat in the final seat is your safest bet
The middle rear seats of an aircraft had the lowest fatality rate: 28%, compared to 44% for the middle aisle seats, according to a TIME investigation that examined 35 years' worth of aircraft accident data.
Window seats are usually a bit noisier than aisle seats. And there's a cone of engine noise that adds to wind noise in the rear of the airplane. “You should avoid sitting in the last row,” Mr. Wandel says.
Research found that the noise experienced in window seats was four decibels higher than the middle and aisle seats. Meanwhile, at the back of the aircraft, there is a lot of low frequency noise, says Kochan.
Boeing 737-800
There really is no question that the Boeing 737-800 was the company's most popular jet over the past 22 years.
The 737-800 is the best-selling variant of the 737NG and is the most widely used narrow-body aircraft.
Unlike major international airports, domestic aerodromes in those days didn't have sophisticated facilities, such as airbridges, cargo loaders, and belt loaders that could reach high places. Therefore, Boeing decided to make the 737 as low to the ground as possible.
There is less turbulence towards the front and especially between the wings of the plane, since this area is more stable. For the same reason, if you suffer from motion sickness, it would also be better to be seated close to the wings.
The determining factor, however, comes down to your flight details. Aisle seats are preferred for long haul flights. They give passengers the freedom to come and go sans disturbing others. On the other hand, window seats are good for overnight flights.
The Smoothest Seats
Flyers who want to ensure a smooth ride should select seats in the rows directly over the wings. Because the wings provide the plane's stability, the seats closest to them will offer a smoother ride. If those seats are not available, the next best place is towards the front of the plane.
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.
“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.
We found that survival was random in several accidents — those who perished were scattered irregularly between survivors. It's for this reason that the FAA and other airline safety experts say there is no safest seat on the plane.
The best seats in Economy Class
In Economy, I'll typically choose a window or aisle seat near the front of the cabin or at the bulkhead. Another spot I often consider in Economy Class is an aisle seat located about 4-5 rows from the back.
The best seat on the plane to avoid turbulence is either over the wings or towards the front of the aircraft. The wings of the plane keep it balanced and smooth, whereas the tail of the aircraft can bounce up and down more. The closer a passenger is to the front of the plane the less turbulence they would usually feel.
Seats at the back of the plane tend to be bumpier, and sitting towards the back also means you're one of the last passengers to get off the plane after landing. Similarly, the bulkheads at the front of the cabin are where families with babies and young children sit.
And best of all, this secret applies to all airlines, not just JetBlue. In a Facebook video, a JetBlue pilot explains that the quietest seats on an airplane are forward of the wings, because the engines are located under the wings. “Sitting in front of the wing is like being behind a speaker.
There's less noise when you're sitting forward on the wings. In most planes, the engines are located under the wings. Sitting in the front of the wing is like being behind a speaker. All of the sounds of the engine and the disturbed air are projected away from you...