On reservation sites, it often remains free. He doesn’t make anyone dream. However, according to several analyzes, it is the one that checks all the boxes: safety, comfort, discretion and sometimes even priority service.
Each flight reservation, it is the same scenario. The passengers hasten to choose the first rows to leave the aircraft in the first. Some also swear by emergency exits to have more legs for the legs. In short, everyone is fighting for the same seats, leaving aside a corner of the plane that many sulks … wrongly.
We think that the more we are in front, the pleasant the flight. Less noise, faster landing, less turbulence. It’s true on certain points, but that’s not everything. First, let’s talk about security. The magazine Time analyzed data on airplane accidents that occurred for over 35 years. Conclusion ? The chances of survival are not the same depending on the location of the seat. Passengers seated at the front have a mortality rate estimated at 38 %. Those in the middle? 39 %. But the seats placed on the back? 32 %. The calculation is quickly done. This is where the survival rate is the highest. A difference that may seem minimal, but that counts when we talk about air accidents, however rare they are.
Another advantage often ignored: the exit. Most line planes are equipped with a rear door. And if it is not always used on boarding, it is much more often at the time of landing, especially on domestic flights or small airports. Result: those who travel to the bottom can go out before other passengers located further, wedged by the central flow.
On the tranquility side, these seats offer another surprise. Less popular, they allow you to travel with a little more space. Fewer neighbors. Sometimes even a row for oneself. And unlike a received idea, it is not necessarily more noisy. Admittedly, we are close to the engines on certain planes, but on others, we are especially safe from the back and forth of passengers. No people who take their luggage in the aisle. No endless tail in the toilet. Less agitation. And there are this little detail that few people know: on some companies, the service can start in the back. It is not a universal rule, but it happens. Result: if you are sitting in the seat most at the back of the plane, you will be served faster than the others. Not bad for those who want to avoid having to choose between the vegetarian dish or the cold fish because there is only that left.
All that, without paying one more penny. Because ironically, this seat is often the least requested. No one reserves it. It remains available longer, in other words a boon for those who travel at the last minute or do not want to pay an option to choose their place.
