How to Get the Most Out of Flying Economy

Flying coach is how most of the world travels. This article will show you how to get the most out of flying economy! Those lucky to travel economy plus, business, or first class enjoy extended perks usually unavailable to those flying in coach. Some of these perks include; more legroom, wider seats, better amenities, and even better food. Some planes go as far as to offer complete suites with full to king-size beds!! I know what you are thinking; why would anyone need a full or king-size bed to fly somewhere? And why would anyone pay $10,000, $15,000, or even more for a first-class ticket? The answer is simple. Because they can.
Most of us are not as lucky. We must save up over the year to get enough money to get that discounted seat with a decent hotel since we must follow the dreaded word that we all hate to be controlled by: “budget.” Listen, because we are on a budget doesn’t mean we have to settle. If you have or develop a few beneficial characteristic traits, there are ways to get more for your money. These traits are patience and persistence. Add time and some luck, and you can attain what you seek. The best part, the only person who can achieve this for you is you! Not your travel agent, not your friend with the “hook up” (ok, maybe your friend with the hookup), not the online travel gods. You!!

HELPFUL TIPS:

▪ Book early:

This is tricky. You can skip this step if you don’t care about where you sit on the plane. If you are like me, a person that needs more legroom and wants more space without spending the plus, business, or first-class prices, booking early is the way to go.
Booking early and paying the airline ticket fare (for the carrier site, more or less) gives you first access to the most available seats on the plane in your selected section. This helps by allowing you to strategically place yourself in areas that furnish more leg space.
Booking early may also mean you may not get the best price. At times there may be price drops that occur after purchasing a ticket for your flight. Airlines don’t tell you there are time limits for getting a refund or credits for the difference. A site that was good at this was Yapta. Bad News: Yapta no longer exists. Yapta was a go-to for refund tracking. People need to be aware that most airlines provide refunds/credits for pre-purchased tickets when a price change occurs. (Some are listed below) but Yapta used to alert you on fare changes before your flight. If a fare change occurs (for example, purchase a ticket for $150, then the ticket drops to $95), you will be alerted at the drop time. You then have to quickly call the carrier to express you would like to have a credit for the change in the ticket cost for the leg you are flying. Most airlines will honor this by providing you credit (different limits are associated with different carriers). I only know of one site that does this well: TripIt (if there are others, please post in comment!) The downside is that you have to pay 49$ a year for this feature. Tripit should move this to their free version IMHO.

▪ Research your aircraft and airline: 

Most people overlook this and realize too late that they could have made their 5+ hour flight more enjoyable. Check the seat arrangement for that type of plane, and be ready to be one of the first people to check in or pay ahead to get the seat you desire and not leave it to chance.

▪ Selecting the BEST seats in coach:

First Place:

Two words: “Bulk” and “Head” (or is that one word? who knows): Get these seats! They are your lifeline to a relaxing, restful coach flight experience. You get, in most cases, nearly twice the legroom as Economy Plus and almost the same legroom as some Business Classes. Only catch, requesting them through travel sites like Expedia or Orbitz is nearly impossible. Call the airline early to book or join their rewards program to secure them in advance.

Please note that each airline has its own rules on availability and ways to book these seats.

Runner Up

Back-row double seats are great for couples or people traveling in pairs. Yes, people stand by you when waiting for the bathroom, but most people respect your space and move away if they see they are invading your space. But these offer some of the most space in coach outside of the bulkheads. The armrest will go up on at least one side and sometimes both.  

Third Place

Emergency Exit Row: Ahh, yes, the most obvious. This is like the dangling carrot of choices since it is easy to sell and point out to most wanting travelers. They offer this as more legroom but forget to mention you lose seat width in the process. They can charge between $25 and $150 one-way, depending on the length of your flight.

You never have to worry about saying “excuse me” to get up while sitting by the window. You can walk around the other leg-spreading travelers without waking them up. A good seat but usually more expensive than the other two. This is #3 because this should be your last resort.

To Be Continued…

So, what’s your experience? Do you have other tips? Please leave a comment below.

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