Tips On How To Get Emergency (Isle) Seats

[tigerfish]

i will try almost anything i can when booking to try and ensure that i can get this particular seating arrangement. reason i am 6ft 1 and around 100 kilos in weight. plus the fact that i am a male (although sex shouldnt come into it) but of not too many years and able bodied. which under my understanding was an important requirement with all airlines, in case of an emergency.

it seems though that with modern technology moving the way it has, that now some airlines dont seem to care or take into consideration this factor when allocating seats.

and as a result is an increasingly more frustrating hurdle to overcome even when i take such steps when booking as to ask the agent to make a request with the airline when pre -allocating seats. calling the airline myself, now trying to use the 20 hour facility on some airlines web sites enabling you to check in on -line. turning up at the airport ensuring that i am first in line and even pulling the frequent flyer card.

to the point that i get some sour faced old bag behind the counter on any said day telling me " sorry sir, the seats have already been taken or allocated " which i then ask the ever so beautiful lady behind the desk if she would kindly like to call her supervisor for me,so i can then go through all the points i have listed above usually with a positive outcome in the end.

but, what am i missing here if anything ? is there some sort of way round it, a loophole or something ? i have heard in the past that some airlines do charge extra for such seating.

my main beef though ! is the fact that when i do get seated on the plane in the seat that i have tried ever so hard to obtain. that usually some of the people seating around me in similar seats are either too old, may have some kind of disability, about five ft nothing and carrying a fair few extra pounds, if you get what i mean and therefore must be a safety issue and a matter of concern if ever a emergency were to occur.

[BillR]

Heres my tip: Fly business class

[steelepulse]

Most airlines now charge extra for these seats and they are booked beforehand. Book early, pay your extra money and you'll get this seat.

[tigerfish]

Heres my tip: Fly business class

knew there would be one, there always is !

heres my tip back !

in business class on take off and landing you dont get a nice looking hostess sitting opposite you with her legs crossed.

from what i have seem you usually get some old battle Axe that the airline cant wait to get rid of.

Edited March 1, 2011 by tigerfish

[tw25rw]

Check in early. Online if possible, but it isn't usually if you want an exit.

Speak to customer service and ask if they'll reserve one for the return leg. Be very polite and expect a no. (I'm loathe to share that one)..

Every airline has it's own policy. I flew down to Samui via Surat last June with Nokair. Had an exit on the way down, but on the way up they refused me because my gf was with me and they won't give exit seats to women..

[tonititan]

Heres my tip: Fly business class

knew there would be one, there always is !

heres my tip back !

in business class on take off and landing you dont get a nice looking hostess sitting opposite you with her legs crossed.

from what i have seem you usually get some old battle Axe that the airline cant wait to get rid of.

Seriously? You'd rather be uncomfortable in economy class so you can look at a pretty flight attendant, vs. comfortable in a nicer class where you are "forced" to look at an old flight attendant? Your choice - hope you enjoy that pretty flight attendant when you're crammed into your tiny economy seat.

Good thing you didn't ask this on the Thai Airways flight attendant thread. At 6'1" and 100 kilos, many of the posters think that you should have to pay extra for your added weight!

[tw25rw]

Heres my tip: Fly business class

knew there would be one, there always is !

heres my tip back !

in business class on take off and landing you dont get a nice looking hostess sitting opposite you with her legs crossed.

from what i have seem you usually get some old battle Axe that the airline cant wait to get rid of.

Seriously? You'd rather be uncomfortable in economy class so you can look at a pretty flight attendant, vs. comfortable in a nicer class where you are "forced" to look at an old flight attendant? Your choice - hope you enjoy that pretty flight attendant when you're crammed into your tiny economy seat.

Good thing you didn't ask this on the Thai Airways flight attendant thread. At 6'1" and 100 kilos, many of the posters think that you should have to pay extra for your added weight!

I suspect it's not the real reason he flies economy, but I think I know why he goes to Thailand.

Edited March 1, 2011 by tw25rw

[roiethome]

Philippine airlines you pay extra at booking in to have a bulkhead or emergency aisle seat. I think other airlines now do so too, but not TG

[smokie36]

Buy a pair of high heels tigerfish!

Seriously if you are tall enough....on Etihad at check in a couple of years ago I asked politely for the exit row and was asked my height....naturally I said 6 4 and she mist have flagged me for all the flights as I enjoyed the exit row on all four sectors.

BTW....I aint that tall......a bit of charm me old son.....

[Mighty Mouse]

The most obvious solution...stand up for the entire flight.

OK, OK, as another poster mentioned, on-line seat allocation and boarding passes are available for accessing 24 hours before departure time. (most airline companies)

Check out the Seat Guru for the seats on various aircraft that offer the best leg room, then try to book them early.

If all else fails, travel by boat.

[ExpatJ]

Heres my tip: Fly business class

knew there would be one, there always is !

heres my tip back !

in business class on take off and landing you dont get a nice looking hostess sitting opposite you with her legs crossed.

from what i have seem you usually get some old battle Axe that the airline cant wait to get rid of.

tigerfish

They keep the emergency exit and bulk head seats for gold member frequent flyers first. I used to have the same problem on star alliance flights- very difficult to get those extra leg room seats- then i became a gold member and Bang! every flight i get one of those seats now, no problem

[AZBill]

Never had a problem gettin an exit row on China Airlines by just showing up early so I'm there when the counter opens. It helps if you are a an Emerald, Platinum or Gold member.You have a separate check-in which is never busy early and you dont have to wait in the economy line (which always seems to be 30 deep in LA even before the counter opens) so you can jump ahead of everyone else. Works every time!

[Bakseedaa]

Heres my tip: Fly business class

I agree, fly business or first class.... height and weight not a problem, and the reason you find it hard to reservr those seats is that staff going on holidays are allocated those seats beforehand as they are the most comfortable in "cattle class"

[Bobr]

I'm 6'3" and weight about the same as you. I manage to get the emergency exit row about 50% of the time by showing up 4 hours early and being the first in line when the check in opens. I've never been charged extra for it, or seen any airline that charges extra. JAL has a printed card they ask you to read, you had to be 15 years old, in good health and say you are willing to follow crew orders in an emergency. Getting to the airport early is the only answer I've found.

Most of the time I've even been able to get it assigned at check in for the connecting flight with JAL, Eva, ANA and China Eastern.

[Ajaan]

Ha! You'll get no sympathy from me. I'm 6'4" (close to 2 meters). Do what I do, suck it up and arrive 4 hours before your flight time. I (knock on wood) almost *always* get my coveted bulkhead seat (on a Boeing 777).

[clinique]

1) Fly business or First

2) get a frequent flyer card

3) pay extra with some airlines.

Actually i have never found turning up early to make any difference as the exit/bulk head seats are usually pre-allocated well before flight time to; peole with bassinet requirements, elderly, and gold card holders, pax who normally fly business but couldnt get a business seat on that flight. thats about the priority i have found.

As for airline staff travelling , actually the last rows in an aircraft are reserved for them unless the aircraft is not full then they can sit where they like.

[kimamey]

I fly BKK to LHR on Jet Airways or Etihad and don't need this seat as I'm only about 1.7mt / 5'6'' but I've never seen anything about these seats costing extra but then maybe I wouldn't.

Etihad web check in is from 24 hours before your flight but Jet depends on the seat class and your Jet Privilege level so if you're flying economy and haven't got Platinum or Gold level then others can get there before you as they can check in 48 hours before. Also if it's not a direct flight you need to do this for each flight taking account of time differences. As I didn't want to pay for computer use at my hotel I had to walk to my favourite internet shop in BKK at about 4 am for my last flight to be 24 hours before the Mumbai flight time. I've never seen it without street vendors or massage parlours.

As someone else has said seatguru isworth a look. Not sure if there are any other sites like this but if anyone knows of any please post them.

[blackthorn2005]

There used to be a rule that anyone sitting in the emergency exit rows had to be fit enough to operate the emergency exit, very understandable. As I qualified I flew exit row, I prefer the window seat, many times with Thai, Eva, BA and Quantas, with no problem. You have to ask and usually you are given a quick ;once over; by a check in Manager, to confirm all you limbs are in place and working. In the last year I have flown with KLM, Schipol - KL + Schipol - BKK and return. KLM sell the emergency exit seats regardless of physical ability. I wonders if this is a breach od CAA or any other organisations rules. When the shit hits the fan, you need to get out quick, the last thing you want is some very nice but frail, old person, preventing everyone from escaping a fireball.