I get a lot of questions from readers along the lines of ‘what seats should I choose on my flight?’ And I certainly have opinions on this, but I’ll either respond with a long discussion of the different seat choices or I’ll answer the question with a question – because there are always tradeoffs, and people have different preferences balancing those. There’s no right answer most of the time!
I have a bit of an idiosyncratic preference for the bulkhead seats at the front of the cabin when I’m flying business class. And most people would disagree. In fact, in many cases the first row of business class is going to be unpopular, for two reasons:
- It’s usually right behind the galley. You’ll be more likely to hear galley noise, and on a long flight in business class when you’re trying to sleep that may be disturbing. (The light from the galley may also be bothersome, as it shines through the curtains separating it from the cabin.)
- It’s also frequently right behind the lavatory. That means there will be more foot traffic going past your seat and back as passengers get up to use the loo. Some people find that, too, disturbing.
And I agree with those criticisms! I just have a stronger preference not to see as many people.
Many business class cabins feel like an endless sea of people. It’s not coach, to be sure, but it’s not a serene and uncrowded environment. Here’s the forward business class cabin on a British Airways Airbus A350:
British Airways Airbus A350 Business Class
One of the things I like best about first class, even subpar first class products like on American Airlines, is that there aren’t a lot of people in the cabin. You don’t see many people! I find the absence of crowds far more peaceful, and a crowded cabin not to be relaxing. As I say, this is my own idiosyncratic preference.
Of course sitting in row 1 of a British Airways Airbus A350 you’re still in a very large cabin with a lot of other business class passengers, but most of the time you’re facing forward and you do not see them. The walls of the seats aren’t very high, and if you’re seated farther back you’ll realize just how surrounded you are any time you get up (to go to the lavatory, to get personal items out of overhead bins).
Sitting in the back of a Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 similarly feels like you’re in a morass of people, which you won’t notice in as pronounced a way seated at the bulkhead.
Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 Business Class
Another feature of the bulkhead is that you may get extra room. Singapore Airlines is one example, though of course many airlines also now sell the bulkhead in business class as a separate premium product – the Virgin Atlantic ‘Retreat Suite’, JetBlue ‘Mint Studio’, and the new American Airlines Flagship Suite Preferred seat that we’ll see in the coming months.
I think Singapore though is the best illustration of this difference. Seats feel like they aren’t spaced very far apart. Sitting in a regular business class seat your feet angle underneath the seat in front of you. I get claustrophobic (first world problems to be sure, most passengers are in coach). Here’s business class on a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777:
Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 Business Seat
In contrast, business class in the bulkhead row on the same aircraft is much more spacious with no seat in front to angle under.
Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 Bulkhead Business Seat
At a minimum you may just get a counter in front of you if you’re seated in the bulkhead row. That’s still something! Here’s Air France:
Air France Business Class
Sometimes that space is used for a snack set up, such as here on KLM. Many will consider that a disadvantage but honestly it doesn’t bother me.
So I’ll always pick the front row bulkhead in the business class, but if you are more averse to galley noise or lavatory foot traffic and don’t mind having a wider view of more passengers in the cabin then your seat choice will be different.
This just in: Lucky found dazed and confused in Premium Economy after reading this. FA’s overheard him muttering “last row of business class” while they directed him back to his seat.
Nice ‘pick’ you got there… would be a shame if we did a last-minute aircraft swap, and you end up elsewhere… *laughs in Qatar Airways, Air Canada, LATAM, etc.*
I don’t mind proximity to the galley and lavs, but I am wary of any bassinet seat since I might get bumped out of it, though that has not happened to me. Also, I have wondered whether the last time I was IDB’d it was for an Air Marshall since I was in the first row.
Happy Father’s Day, Gary! Thanks for years of wise advice.
I rarely sleep long haul so My preferred BC location to call home is right flat in the middle of the cabin. No galley lights forward no lavatory commotion from the rear. Add some Woodford Reserve and I’m a happy camper.
Or you could just try and grab a seat in the second, smaller business class cabin
Well, you ruined my life years ago when you taught me how to fly upfront. Retired, no business spending to refresh points accout, so now I have to PAY to fly up there. And, of course, there is simply no alternative! Yes, we get lucky every now and then – NY-Paris AF at low rate two years ago, reasonalbe on United to Naples last September. But at this point, any seat in Business Class is welcome on miles; I can be a tad pickier if I’m paying for it. Seriously Gary, we had a glorious time and most of it was due to you!
I ticket early, so I typically can pick any seat. On narrowbodies, I’m typically 2B (called 2C on some designations). I want the space in front of me for my only carry on. Also, the seat may be wider in some seat designs. On widebodies, I’m commonly 1A (unless it is basinet equipped). It’s a better seat on newer AF A350s and AA 789Ps at no extra cost (for now). I will not pay extra for it if asked to in the future. And, I prefer 1A on AA’s 789 over the 789P (which has an extra row between door 1 and 2).
Further to the point about having more room, quite a few bulkhead Business Class seats offer more room for a passenger’s feet when the seat is in lie-flat mode.
Totally agree, and in most cases I try to go for the bulkhead too. But if they are all taken, I take the last row in business. In many cases (like row 10 on AA’s 777-200) you still get the little working space albeit behind you to put stuff on, like your tray when you are done eating and want to leave the seat. When you get up you do not see as many people, and the FAs never put the snacks on it!
@This comes to mind — We are actually quite alike in our approach, however, on 737, specifically, I prefer row 3, if recliner because first two rows of overhead don’t always fit carry-on rollies well.
Unless it’s assbackwards!!!!! 😛
Nothing new in this article-
Many biz class flyers inc. me have long preferred to travel bulkhead, which is why those seats are usually booked out or blocked.in most/all airlines.
Question author of this article needs to advise is which seats he would recommend when & not if bulkhead seats aren‘t available.
Bulkhead biz class seats may have space for bassinets. So any infants aboard will be at the bulkhead seats nearest to you.
On a recent transpacific flight with a us legacy carrier, even in the 5th row i can hear the cabin crew loud voices to the extent where i know when their time off, when their next flight is, how many hours they will fly this month, and their personal lives. Correction, probably half the entire business cabin on the 787 knows it.
No thanks. Sit a few rows back where you can get decent sleep. Galley noise plus bathroom traffic sucks!
Those cut outs on the top of the AF J bulkhead open to bassinets. Unlike many other airlines that hang a basket on the bulkhead wall, these bassinets are i) protected on all sides and ii) recessed so there’s less noise and light for the kid. Our first TATL flight with our twins was in these two middle J seats with the twins in those bassinets. It was glorious.
I could not agree more! Business Class feels crowded – even when it isn’t with passengers, and I really miss all those First Class suites I used to enjoy in the early 2000s.- 2010s.
Unfortunately, the significant devaluation of FFP awards for premium class seats means that despite having over a million miles in my account, I’m often buying Business Class seats with cash because I fly too hard to cavalierly dispense with 200K to 400K for a one way Business Class award.
Thankfully, I get one more go around via a 75K F award ORD-JFK-EZE with a 90K F EZE-JFK-HNL on the return. Granted, it’s with AA and AA/HA on the return, but I like AA’s 773 F suite, especially as there are only 8 of them, so even if I get that chewy Beef Wellington for dinner, I’ll be a happy camper for my suite time.
@ELTON PARKS — Well done on those redemptions! Took a similar routing recently (NY-AR). Enjoy Chelsea lounge at JFK T8. Unfortunately, I did not find the Beef Wellington appetizing. Argentina-Hawaii is quite a difference of scenery/culture/time zone!
@Marvin “Bulkhead biz class seats may have space for bassinets. So any infants aboard will be at the bulkhead seats nearest to you.” I agree it is important to check aerolopa as they have them indicated. I here (online, so ??) AF, where they are located in the two bulkhead aisle seats of the back J cabin (not in front cabin) of the newest A350 design that they may let a pax book one, but them automatically move them if they don’t register an infant in arms.
This is a weird reason for this preference, but to each his own.
I do the same! Cheers