Best seats on a plane, counted by layout
The right seat depends on what you want from the flight. Across 29 layouts with exits and facilities listed, the maps show exit rows, seats with nothing in front, bulkheads, last rows, and rows near galleys and lavatories.
Seat kinds in every layout
Sorted by exit-row seats, most first.
| Layout | Exit-row seats | Nothing in front | Bulkhead rows | Last-row seats | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Emirates A380-800 Two-class · 615 seats | 20 | 24 | 5 | 10 | Open map |
Emirates A380-800 Three-class · 517 seats | 18 | 16 | 8 | 12 | Open map |
United Airlines 777-300ER · 350 seats | 18 | 4 | 6 | 20 | Open map |
Emirates 777-300ER Three-class · 360 seats | 16 | 4 | 6 | 19 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines A350-900 359 · 306 seats | 15 | 4 | 4 | 22 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines A330-300 333 · 282 seats | 15 | 2 | 6 | 22 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines A330-900neo 339 · 281 seats | 15 | 0 | 6 | 19 | Open map |
Emirates A380-800 Three-class ultra long range · 491 seats | 14 | 14 | 8 | 12 | Open map |
United Airlines 777-200ER Version 1 · 276 seats | 14 | 12 | 8 | 20 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines 757-200 75D · 199 seats | 14 | 4 | 4 | 16 | Open map |
United Airlines 787-9 Version 1 · 257 seats | 13 | 3 | 6 | 21 | Open map |
United Airlines 787-8 · 243 seats | 13 | 0 | 7 | 17 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines A321neo 3NE · 194 seats | 12 | 3 | 2 | 16 | Open map |
United Airlines 737 MAX 9 Version 1 · 179 seats | 12 | 3 | 2 | 16 | Open map |
United Airlines 737 MAX 9 Version 2 · 179 seats | 12 | 3 | 2 | 16 | Open map |
United Airlines A321neo · 200 seats | 12 | 0 | 4 | 10 | Open map |
United Airlines 737-800 Version 1 · 166 seats | 12 | 0 | 2 | 16 | Open map |
United Airlines 737-800 Version 2 · 166 seats | 12 | 0 | 2 | 16 | Open map |
United Airlines 737-800 Version 3 · 166 seats | 12 | 0 | 2 | 16 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines 737-800 738 · 160 seats | 12 | 0 | 2 | 16 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines A320 320 · 157 seats | 12 | 0 | 2 | 13 | Open map |
United Airlines A320 · 150 seats | 12 | 0 | 2 | 16 | Open map |
United Airlines 787-9 Version 2 · 222 seats | 11 | 3 | 5 | 23 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines 767-300ER 76K · 216 seats | 11 | 3 | 5 | 15 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines A350-900 35H · 275 seats | 10 | 5 | 5 | 30 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines A321 321 · 191 seats | 10 | 5 | 4 | 13 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines 737-900ER 739 · 180 seats | 10 | 5 | 3 | 13 | Open map |
United Airlines 787-10 · 318 seats | 10 | 0 | 6 | 21 | Open map |
Delta Air Lines A220-300 223 · 130 seats | 3 | 2 | 2 | 14 | Open map |
Emirates 777-200LR Three-class · 276 seats | not known | not known | not known | not known | Open map |
Emirates A350-900 Three-class · 312 seats | not known | not known | not known | not known | Open map |
A layout shows “not known” when the airline’s map lists no doors or facilities, so exit rows and walls cannot be worked out.
What each seat kind means
Exit row
The row at a pair of exit doors: the first row at or after the door. The plane’s front and rear doors do not make an exit row, and overwing exits count like any other exit. Airlines set their own rules for who may sit there and some charge extra, so check at booking.
Nothing in front
A seat whose letter does not exist in the row ahead, so no seat sits directly in front of it. The exit rows and these seats together are what we call more legroom by layout. Suites with staggered rows are left out, because their seats alternate by design.
Bulkhead
A seat with a wall in front instead of another seat. It is the first row of a cabin that does not sit directly behind another row, or a row that comes right after a door, galley, lavatory, closet or bar.
Last row of a cabin
The highest row number in each cabin. We mark it so you can find it; some airlines limit recline there, and the seat card shows the airline’s own mark when it publishes one.
Next to a lavatory or galley
A lavatory or galley sits directly ahead of or behind the row, on that seat’s side of the plane. It is worked out from the doors and facilities in the airline layout.
Browse the maps
More room by layout
Exit rows and seats with nothing in front are the seats marked as having more room by layout. Across the 29 counted layouts, there are 370 exit row seats and 119 seats with nothing in front. These totals describe the layouts, not a promise about the amount of room.
Counts vary by aircraft and version. Delta Air Lines Airbus A220-300 has 3 exit row seats and 2 seats with nothing in front. Delta Air Lines Airbus A320 has 12 exit row seats and 0 seats with nothing in front. The Emirates Airbus A380-800 two-class layout has 20 exit row seats and 24 seats with nothing in front. Look at the map for the specific layout you are considering.
Bulkhead seats
A bulkhead is a wall ahead of a row. It may be a cabin divider, galley, lavatory, or door. A bulkhead seat has no seat directly in front, but it faces a wall. The maps mark 645 bulkhead seats across the counted layouts.
Check where the wall is and what the seat map marks for that row. A bulkhead may have a different arrangement from a row with a seat ahead; how much room it gives depends on the aircraft. The airline's own marks on seats, such as bassinet, are the airline's words.
Last rows and nearby facilities
The last row of a cabin is its highest row number. The maps show 490 last row seats across the counted layouts. They also mark seats in rows with a galley or lavatory directly ahead of or behind them on the same side of the plane. For example, United Airlines Boeing 777-300ER has 20 last row seats and 39 seats next to a galley or lavatory.
A traveller may want to check these rows to see where the cabin ends and where facilities sit on the layout. Someone who prefers a seat near a galley or lavatory can look for those rows; someone who would rather sit elsewhere can compare their position with other rows. The map shows locations, not how a seat feels.
Window, aisle, or middle
Choose by the seat position that suits you. In a 3-3-3 row the two side blocks each have a window seat, a middle seat and an aisle seat, while the center block has an aisle seat on each side of its middle seat. In a 2-4-2 row the center block has two aisle seats and two seats between them. Check the aircraft layout and row before choosing; the counts and arrangement can differ between layouts.
Use the map for your flight
Find the airline and aircraft, then open the matching layout. Tap a seat and read its card for the details shown there. Compare the row and seat position with the map, including any marks the airline has added. Those airline marks are the airline's own descriptions.
Questions
Which seats have more room by layout?
Exit row seats and seats with nothing in front are counted as having more room by layout. Across 29 layouts with exits and facilities listed, the maps show 370 exit row seats and 119 seats with nothing in front. The counts vary by layout.
What is a bulkhead seat?
A bulkhead seat is in a row with a wall ahead, such as a cabin divider, galley, lavatory, or door. It has no seat directly in front, but a wall instead. The maps count 645 bulkhead seats across the layouts listed.
Are last-row seats close to the lavatory?
A last row is the cabin's highest row number. The map separately marks a row as next to a lavatory or galley when one is directly ahead of or behind it on the same side. United Airlines Boeing 777-300ER shows 20 last row seats and 39 seats next to a galley or lavatory.
How many exit row seats are on Delta Air Lines Airbus A320?
The Delta Air Lines Airbus A320 layout lists 12 exit row seats, 0 seats with nothing in front, and 10 bulkhead seats. These counts describe the specific layout. Check its map to see where the exit row seats appear in the cabin.