The Best Airplane Seats to Avoid Turbulence
Published by FareCompare on August 12, 2024
Few things feel as exciting as the thrill of boarding a plane and taking off toward a new destination. Whether it's a trip you've made many times before, or a special, once-in-a-lifetime experience, soaring through the air and across the world is a pretty incredible sensation! However, the messy reality of flying means that sometimes you're stuck dealing with nuisances like overbooked flights, delays and cancellations, or the dreaded turbulence.
For travelers that are more fearful about taking a plane, few things are as stressful as having to endure turbulence. Not knowing how long it will last and what the actual causes are only feed the anxiety and can quickly turn a positive trip into a nightmare. Some aviation experts warn that incidents will only continue to rise as climate change evolves, as has been noted in several recent news items detailing injured passengers and damaged aircraft.
What Is Turbulence?
Turbulence is unavoidable, and it's defined as an irregular motion of the air resulting from eddies and vertical currents. Turbulence on a flight may be as insignificant as a few annoying bumps or severe enough to momentarily send an airplane out of control or to cause structural damage to the aircraft. It is also associated with different weather conditions, like fronts, wind shear, and thunderstorms.
- Light turbulence: Momentarily causes slight changes in altitude and/or a slight bumpiness. Plane passengers may feel a slight strain against their seat belts.
- Moderate turbulence: Similar to light turbulence but somewhat more intense. There is, however, no loss of control of the airplane. People on the plane will feel a definite strain against their seat belts and unsecured objects will be dislodged or move about.
- Severe turbulence: Causes large and abrupt changes in altitude and/or attitude and, usually, large variations in indicated airspeed. The airplane may momentarily be out of control. Occupants of the airplane will be forced violently against their seat belts.
- Extreme turbulence: The airplane is tossed violently about and is impossible to control. It may cause structural damage and occupants not wearing seatbelts could experience injury.
How to Pick the Best Seat to Avoid Turbulence
If reading this already has your palms sweaty, know that there are some things that you can control. Some airplane seats that can minimize the experience, which can certainly make a huge difference.
One of the best seats for this is over the wing because it’s the center of the plane and also the center for gravity and lift. If you’ve ever ridden in the very back of a school bus, you know how rough the ride can be. The same experience applies to the back of aircraft. So, to minimize the feeling of turbulence, stick to the center of the plane, and avoid the rear seats. This will provide better stability which means you won't feel the ups and downs as much as passengers located much further back. Some savvy travelers recommend choosing a seat that allows you see the galley. When the plane hits rough patches, it can be reassuring to see the crew working as usual and not being adversely affected by the bounce.
Best Seat: Anything in the center of the plane, ideally over the wing.
Worst Seat: Seats in the very back of the aircraft.
