If you aren’t using seat maps, you are potentially missing out on very valuable intel. I cover the basics in this recent article on the best tools for finding seat maps, but here’s a short overview:
First, a little context.
SeatGuru had been my favorite site for finding detailed seat maps, helping me pick seats, whether in economy, business or even first class. It had some incredible features, including the ability to find seat maps for various versions of most airplanes and even obscure airlines, the ability to see problematic seats (like those missing windows or that don’t recline), and the colored maps that showed seats and areas to avoid or to pick.
But now, sadly, after a lack of investment over the years, SeatGuru has shut down. Fortunately, I’ve found similar features elsewhere.
SeatMaps is probably my favorite. You can easily search for the airline and flight you are looking at, and it pulls up a map with notes on both good and bad seats.
Another great one is ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG’s parent company, Red Ventures). ExpertFlyer is great for finding business-class award space, but it also includes seat maps. You can search by airline and flight number. It, too, has notes that alert you to bad seats … or good seats.
ExpertFlyer can also send you alerts when seats you want open up (like in an exit row).
Red Ventures has invested significantly in EF, and some really cool things are on the way. (You can even use it to find the real reason your flight was delayed or canceled!)
The final one I’ll mention is AeroLopa. It’s a TPG favorite, but I haven’t been a fan of the nonintuitive search function. But the company told me it will soon get easier. Already, AeroLopa has rolled out some cool new features, including easier-to-find airlines and plane types and an interactive cabin map with new features coming soon.
Happy seat hunting!
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Photo Credit: Seatmaps.
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