Airline finally determines a winner in the heated 'aisle vs window' seat debate
When it comes to air travel, most passengers can be divided into two very distinct categories: window seat people and aisle seat people.
Both have their pros and cons, and seasoned travellers can get into very heated debates about which one is the best.
Are you an aisle seat or a window seat kind of person? iStock
Low-cost airline Scoot has sought to put these debates to bed with the release of its Great Aussie Seat Survey.
They put the question to over 1,000 Aussies to find out, once and for all, which was the preferred category of economy plane seat.
And there is a clear winner, though by a very tight margin.
The survey found that 52 per cent of travellers prefer the window seat when flying.
The majority of respondents said their choice was driven by the chance to get great views out the window and take photos of the scenery. Fewer disturbances from other passengers was also high on the list.
Just over one-third of passengers said they pick the aisle seat every time, citing comfort and convenience as key reasons.
Meanwhile, three per cent of survey respondents said they willingly choose the middle seat, though their reasons for doing so are unclear.
People choose the window for a chance to look out at the views. iStock
Next time you think about striking up a conversation on an airplane, remember this stat from Scoot’s survey: when imagining their ideal seatmate, 42 per cent said they want someone quiet who keeps to themselves.
Only 14 per cent of respondents want a funny and conversational companion – so unless you’re a career comedian, maybe keep your chat to yourself.
Of course, many Aussie travellers are on the hunt for a bargain, especially as travel costs continue to rise.
Scoot’s survey asked respondents about which part of their onboard experience they’d be willing to sacrifice to save some cash. The number one choice was Wi-Fi (39 per cent), in-flight amenities (38 per cent) and entertainment (32 per cent) – but only 17 per cent would sacrifice checked baggage.
Travellers also admitted the most important thing on board was comfort and space, saying they’d willingly give up good food, drinks, and carry-on bag space.
Scoot offers low-cost flights to Asia and beyond. Scoot
If you ever find yourself stuck in a bad plane seat, all you have to do is politely ask the flight attendant if there’s anywhere you could move to.
It’s a long shot, but sometimes it works. Nine Travel reporter Sarah recently tried this out after being assigned an uncomfortable aisle seat on a long-haul flight from London to Doha.
After the cabin crew member consulted her seat map, Sarah was reassigned to a completely empty row at the back of the cabin, without having to pay for a seat upgrade.
“If I had not asked, no doubt somebody would have nabbed those right after take off,” said Sarah. “Instead, I was able to stretch my nearly six-foot frame across them all for the whole flight.”
