Behind the Scenes at SeatGuru: Helping You Decide Where to Sit
How do you choose which seat to grab after booking a flight? Whenever possible, we try to guide TPG readers with our "Where to Sit" posts, but there's one resource that everyone seems to turn to, from first-time flyers to road-warrior pros.
SeatGuru has been advising travelers since 2001, though the site — and its database — has grown quite a bit in recent years, following an acquisition by TripAdvisor.
On a recent Air Tahiti Nui 787-9 Dreamliner delivery flight, I had a chance to shadow one of the site's top flyers, tasked with rating seats based on personal experience, reader reports and even TPG reviews. Read on for an inside look at how SeatGuru makes the pre-flight experience a bit easier to manage.
Zach Honig: Can you start off by telling me a bit about yourself? How did you career lead you to SeatGuru?
SeatGuru: My name is Dave and I am one of the Content Specialists for SeatGuru by TripAdvisor. I actually started off at TripAdvisor on the Vacation Rental team, where I became interested in researching and generating content. I was put in contact with a former colleague who mentioned that they were looking for a Content Specialist for SeatGuru, so I applied and was brought on board.
ZH: What does your job entail, exactly?
SG: My job entails a lot. Whether it be adding a new airline to SeatGuru, researching and creating new seat maps, interacting with the airlines and our community directly to make sure current seat maps are up to date, managing our social media channels and creating content for our blog, I am always working on something.
ZH: How many aircraft do you have in your database? How do you choose which planes to map?
SG: As of today, we have over 130 airlines on our website and over 1,140 seat maps as well.
ZH: Do you fly all of these planes yourself? How do you know how to rate each seat?
SG: We base our rating on a number of factors such as industry data and feedback from our community.
ZH: Do you add seat maps before an aircraft even launches, since customers may already be booking flights? TAP's upcoming Airbus A330neo, for example.
SG: Yes, our goal is to add those maps up as quickly as possible. Air Tahiti Nui’s Dreamliner is a great example of this. Even though Air Tahiti Nui’s Dreamliner [didn't start] flying until November 7th, we had the seat map for it on our site back in July. We love being able to give our community a sneak peek of aircraft that will be flying soon since we know many of them book several months out. A lot of getting the map up comes down to how much information is out there and if the airline is working with us to get their map on our site.
ZH: Which commercial aircraft has the most bizarre seating arrangement?
SG: With over 1,140 seat maps, it is tough for me to think of a specific one. I have seen so many seating arrangements during my three years here, so they all blend together after a while.
ZH: What's your take on 3-4-3 seating on the 777?
SG: My take on the 3-4-3 seating on the 777 is that we are entering into an interesting time for aircraft configurations and fitting more people onto a flight.
ZH: Are there any airlines or aircraft you simply won't fly?
SG: I am always willing to try any airline and experience their product.
ZH: How do you keep the database up to date? Will an airline reach out if a configuration has changed?
SG: We are constantly reviewing the airline’s sites and updating our own when we can, and there are a number of airlines that reach out to us and let us know of configuration changes or new aircraft, which is extremely helpful and helps expedite those changes or additions. Overall though, we rely on our community of flyers to inform us when something has changed.
We also want our community to know that many airlines have a number of the same aircraft (ie… they may have 23 A320s in their fleet), so we need to make sure that any changes to the interior of the craft has been done throughout their whole fleet to avoid confusion on our site.
ZH: Do airlines like to work with you in general? I imagine there are some mixed feelings, given that you're telling readers to avoid certain seats.
SG: Overall, we have a very good relationship with the airline industry.
ZH: What should readers do if they can't find the seat map for their plane?
SG: Let us know! Links to the seat map in question or photos/videos are always extremely helpful! We will add that seat map as quickly as possible since we know how important it is to know everything about your flight before you book, before you book your seat or before you step onto that plane!
For more on Air Tahiti Nui's Dreamliner fleet, see:
- Touring Business, Premium and Coach on Air Tahiti Nui’s First 787-9
- Air Tahiti Nui Takes Delivery of Its Very First Dreamliner
- Our First Look at Air Tahiti Nui’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.