If you have econophobia like me, then you definitely dread getting stuck in a middle seat or in the back of the plane. I don’t know many people, except for my late father (he loved to talk to strangers), who like getting stuck between two strangers. Here’s how to get the best coach seat possible.
1. Get Elite Status
Acquiring elite status is the easiest way to secure the best possible coach seat(s). That’s because most airlines allow their frequent fliers to sit in the highly sought-after extra legroom rows for free. Attaining elite status is not that difficult, especially for business travelers. Usually, you just need to accumulate a certain number of miles or spend a certain dollar amount in a year on one particular airline or its partners. There are also a number of credit cards, which will help you attain this goal. For instance, several co-brand airline credit cards not only come with automatic elite status, but also offer perks like free bags, TSA PreCheck, priority boarding, and some of the best limited-time credit card bonuses that we’ve seen this summer.
2. Keep checking
If you book a ticket last-minute (like I usually do)—even if you’re a frequent flyer—chances are that the golden seats will already be gone. But don’t fret because the good seats will most likely still open up. The trick is to keep checking your reservation and seat chart every hour or so because the best seats are usually being reserved by frequent fliers. In most cases, one or some of them will either be upgraded to first class or they will cancel their trip.
I usually begin checking a month before and then really start looking a few days before departure and continue until I get the seat(s) I want. For example, the screenshot above is from our family trip to the East Coast. I booked the tickets just a day before, and we were all in the back. But I had a feeling those in the good seats (extra legroom towards the front of the plane) would open up. And you know what? They did.
3. Set a seat alert
If you don’t have time to keep checking your reservation, then set a seat alert with ExpertFlyer.com. They don’t charge for a single seat alert, but if you want to set more at once, you can buy more seat alerts for only $0.99 each or sign up for a Basic or Premium account, which start at $4.99 per month. I successfully used it two weeks ago when flying from New York to L.A., and I really wanted to get the exit row aisle. Sure enough, the seat opened up when a frequent flier got upgraded. I snagged the best seat in coach. Then a day later, I got upgraded to Business (woo-hoo!) Here’s our guide on how to use Expert Flyer since it’s not the easiest website to maneuver.
4. Pay extra
Most airlines will sell you a better coach seat. But if you’re going to pay, just make sure you’re getting something for your money (like more legroom) because some airlines (ahem, American) charge for being toward the front of the cabin with no extra anything. Don’t be fooled.
5. Get the bulkhead/emergency row
Get an emergency row or bulkhead seat. Emergency row and bulkhead seats usually have a lot more legroom than the other seats do, and that’s why airlines charge more for them. Whenever I’m in one and have a long flight, after takeoff, I bring down my rolling briefcase from the overhead bin and put a blanket, pillow, or sweatshirt on it and turn it into a leg rest. Sometimes, I even have more legroom than first-class passengers. Just be sure to stow it before landing.
6. Be friendly
One of the best ways to get a great coach seat for free is, simply enough, to be super-friendly to the gate agents (I usually bring them chocolates) and kindly request that they upgrade any of the frequent fliers, to give you their plush coach seat. These fliers are usually booked in an exit row or bulkhead seat.
7. Research your seats
To find out which seats are the best on a particular aircraft, consult aeroLOPA. Keep in mind that airlines can change aircraft types at the last minute, so there are no guarantees. Still, more information will help!
8. Don’t buy terrible seats
Reader Rakesh Agrawal recently reminded me of another strategy. “I was talking to someone who paid for a middle seat in the back of the plane. Don’t buy it. Worst case scenario: you’ll get a middle seat in the back of the plane when you check in.” Good advice!
As you can see, it sometimes does take time to get the best seat on the plane, but having extra space or legroom can make or break your trip.
Let me know in the comments below if these tips helped or if you have any tricks up your sleeve that I missed!
This post was updated on February 21, 2026. It was originally published in 2012.
KEEP READING:
–8 Ways To Make Sure An Airline Doesn’t Lose Your Bag … And That You Don’t Get Robbed or Stalked
–The Trick For Getting Airport Luggage Carts for Free
–Airline Lost Your Luggage? Do This If You Want to Get Compensated
–Why Frequent Fliers Use Apple AirTags or Samsung SmartTags When They Travel
–An Airline Executive’s Number One Tip for Avoiding Lost Luggage When You Fly
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Great tips! Just wanted to add that if you are sitting in the emergency row, you must be physically capable and willing to perform emergency actions when seated in emergency or exit rows and you must be 15 years of age or older. They will ask if you agree to these conditions and we almost lost our seats when my wife said “No”. I had to do some fast talking to reassure the airline that my wife would act in emergency.
Why do you keep repeating this bad information? Surely you must know that United at least has a strong pecking order for premium seats (primarily elite status and how much you paid for your ticket). Gate agents can be fired if they give away economy plus seats when there are elites on the waiting list who don’t get these seats. And suggesting that flyers gain elite status is correct. On heavily trafficked routes, an elite (silver) with 25K has only a tiny chance of getting a bulkhead seat. Dressing up sounds like a good strategy but a regular passenger in a 3 piece suit will easily be bumped by an elite in shorts and flip flops.
Great tips for a first time flier like me. Will come in really handy. Thanks.
Oh great, I’ll keep that in mind for the next time I fly. Couldn’t hurt to be bumped up a notch.
Thanks for those amazing tips !
I will surely try some of these for my next flight :)
Thanks Johnny, but I was recently on icelandair, from iceland to Chicago. I booked this flight in August for a March flight. The DAY before the flight, icelandair changed my seat! I was in Munich and did not find out about this until I checked in, and it was too late as they had given my seat to someone else. It was the worst flight I have ever taken because of the seat they assigned me to. I will NEVER fly this airline again, and I want to warn as many people as I can about their practices.
If your reservation is more than a month in advance, check your seat assignment on the first of each month. Airlines sometimes change the equipment (aircraft type) on the first of the month. Often your seat will change without notice and if someone else now has your assigned seat, there’s nothing that the airline can do. Set-up a calendar alert to check your seats on the first of every month. A changed seat assignment may not be your fault but it is your problem.
Great tip! We will make it a reader travel tip. Thanks!
I just did it, I got 11F window seat! When I originally booked 3 weeks ago, the few available seats are all aisle seats so I just decided I’ll just be at the mercy of the gate attendant when I get to the airport. SO happy I opened your email during a break at the office. Thank you!!!!!
Great travel tips – well worth reading even for the 100,000 mile a year traveler. Getting elite status is my #1 recommendation if at all possible. It’s not that hard if you acquire certain airlines’ affinity cards. When flying on an airline with no status: (1) Some airlines sell premium extra-space coach seats at check-in. If you have to open your laptop it may be worth the $20-50. (2) Get the airline’s mobile app and (as Johnny says) check for seats very frequently in the few days prior to the flight (any maybe twice a day for the weeks before that). You can usually change your seat inside the mobile app. (3) Some airlines (I fly United) allow seat changes from computer or mobile app even after checking in. (4) Learn how to use SeatGuru – even when aircraft changes it’s very often to the same model/same seat config. If you fly enough you will come to know all sorts of things SeatGuru may not tell you. Even first class has better and worse seats. Trade stories with frequent travelers.
Getting thru the airport: (5) If you fly more than a couple times a year it may be worth it to get TSA precheck even if you have to pay for it – or FlyClear if you frequently use airports they serve). Since I fly out of SFO, it’s well worth it to me to have both Clear and TSA Precheck because the TSA line is getting congested as they enroll more of the flying public.
Thanks again Johnny! Found you on Leo Laporte’s Tech Guy podcast.
Many thanks for your tips. I found you on http://travelswithcarole.blogspot.fr/2013/04/misc-carole-terwilliger-meyers-is.html.
Have a nice day.
What is the Android Seat app, you spoke of Saturday on your Leo Laporte Tech guy segment?
Expert flyer https://johnnyjet.com/2012/09/six-ways-to-get-the-best-coach-seat-on-an-airplane/
I love these tips and will share them!
We work so hard to try to secure the best seats for our clients. Because we’re usually booking vacations with two or more people, it can be a gamble to wait until the last minute to get seats together, so we suggest that groups and families, even couples, try to book a few months in advance to get optimal seating.
And gifts for desk clerks and flight attendants? BRILLIANT?we travel with a bag of individually wrapped high end chocolates so we can distribute them as needed!