Hot take: I hate exit row seats on airplanes. I totally understand why some people go really far out of their way to sit in one, but it’s just not for me.
Not only are there extra rules to follow, there are usually a lot of compromises you’ll have to make in exchange for the extra legroom.
Being the last one off in an emergency (the airplane equivalent of going down with the ship) just isn’t my thing. I’m sorry, but it just isn’t.
Why I hate exit row seats (some of these reasons are petty, I know)
Before going any further, it’s important to note that I won’t automatically turn down an exit row seat if one is offered to me. All I’m saying is that it’s very rare that I’ll go out of my way to secure one for myself ahead of time. Here’s why:
1. Carryon bags must go *fully* under the seat in front of you
Even if your carry-on bag is hanging out an inch or two, the cabin crew will be quick to let you know that there are two options: get it to fit all the way under the seat, or place it in an overhead bin. I don’t wanna place it in an overhead bin.
I’ve always been the type of flyer who can go anywhere in the world (for any amount of time) with just my backpack.
Since I like to have access to all my belongings with me at my seat, I hardly ever make use of the overhead bins when flying economy class. Even when my backpack is fat and overstuffed with everything I cram into it for a long trip, it always goes under the seat in front of me.
2. The seats don’t fully recline
Another reason why I don’t like exit row seats is that the seats don’t always recline. For example, on aircraft where there are two (or more) rows of exit row seats, the seats with another exit row behind won’t recline. This is done in order to prevent blocking the exit in the event of an emergency. But it can still be annoying if you’re in one of those seats on longer flight.
Don’t give me wrong – I’ve never been the type of person who instantly slams the seat back as far as it will go as soon as I sit down. An inch or two of recline is just the amount that I need to take some of the pressure off my lower back on longer flights.
I can deal with a lack of legroom a lot better than I can lower back pain. This obviously isn’t a big deal on shorter flights, but it’s one of the primary reasons why I will avoid exit row seats on flights over 3 hours in length.
3. The in-flight entertainment experience isn’t as good
One of the things I never hear anybody talk about is how diminished the exit row in-flight entertainment experience is. Sure, you’ll get the exact same features and amenities that everyone else in economy class does, but it’s a much more awkward experience IMHO.
In most cases, the video screen in the seat back in front of you will be much farther away. If you’re under 6 feet tall, you will very quickly feel the agony of having to reach far forward to swipe through all the options on the touchscreen.
It becomes even more frustrating if you can’t find anything to watch. Your arms will start buzzing from the lack of blood flow. Your back will be pinching in places it has never pinched before. Most annoyingly, your gut will be strangled by the seatbelt still latched tightly in place (as required by the same flight attendant who reminded you that your carryon bag wasn’t fully under the seat).
4. Sometimes there’s no window
I can’t count the number of times that I’ve booked myself an exit row seat, only to find out later that there were no windows in that particular row. My trip to Vienna on Turkish Airlines several years ago was a perfect example of this.
On the flight from Chicago to Istanbul, I was seated in a bulkhead exit row with no window. The legroom was decent, but I would’ve given that up in a second to be able to see what was happening outside.
On my connecting flight from Istanbul to Vienna, I had another exit row seat. And once again, no window. I basically flew halfway around the world in a window seat without being able to see any of the scenery along the way.
Not all exit rows on airplanes are windowless. Some of them are though, so I suggest doing your research ahead of time so you don’t get any nasty surprises once you board your flight.
5. Sometimes there’s a lack of leg room
Depending on the type of aircraft that you’re flying on, some exit row seats have less legroom than regular economy seats. It’s rare, but it happens!
A perfect example of this was that Turkish Airlines flight from Chicago to Istanbul that I mentioned above. My exit row seat was in a bulkhead row against the window. Just ahead of me was an emergency exit door.
Unfortunately for my feet, at the base of that exit door was a protruding box (which contained a compacted inflatable raft). You’re not allowed to put your feet on that box, so I basically had to sit sideways for 10 hours.
6. I loathe the awkward encounters with the flight attendants
Another thing that I don’t like about exit row seats is that sometimes there are flight attendant jump seats right in front of them (directly facing the exit row seats). These are the seats that the flight attendants sit in during takeoff and landing. And because you will be facing each other when they’re sitting there, it can be extremely awkward.
If you’re the slightest bit introverted like I am, it feels pretty much like hell on earth as you nervously try to avoid direct eye contact.
7. I don’t want to be the last off the plane in an emergency
And finally, perhaps the most controversial reason of all: I don’t want the responsibility! When sitting in an exit row seat, you will be required to assist the cabin crew in the event of an emergency.
If you’re in the window seat, you will be responsible for popping the door open. Not only that, you will then have to stand there at the door making sure that everyone gets out safely. You’re basically going to be the last one off the airplane.
Is it wrong of me to admit that I don’t want that kind of responsibility? Of course I’d be willing to help in any way that I can when the aircraft I’m on bursts into flames. However, I can’t say that I’d be willing to volunteer to be the last one off if sh*t gets real. Isn’t that the Captain’s job?
Euroflyer
IMO , I feel like part of the reason your not such a huge fans of exit rows coms down to height, for me at 6‘5 , even 32‘ pitch feels very tight and anything. Below 30‘ means I’m my knees are firmly buried in the seat back infront, I’m therefore happy to Ort with my recline, some money and accept the responsibility if it means I can feel my lower legs after a 4+ hour flight
Scott (SANspotter)
You bring up a very good point. I am average height (5′-10″), so the extra leg room doesn’t really benefit me all that much. I probably wouldn’t have written this article if I was over 6′ tall though, because it would be a lot easier to put up with minor inconveniences for that extra leg room.
Kurt lee
Ive had exit row seats often on long haul to philippines. The leg room is my my concern being 6″1. I take Ambien shortly after takeoff and am out for hours. Inflight movies aren’t my concern then nor a flight atrendant in front of me ….hihi.
Scott (SANspotter)
Haha, yeah, Ambien does wonders to make even the worst economy seats tolerable, so I imagine it must make the exit row seats feel like heaven!
ptahcha
Last reason is not entirely true. There are a variety of assistance needed during an evac, including be the first person on the slide and stay at the bottom to help people move away. So if you don’t want to assist in case of an evacuation, then don’t sit in the exit row.
Scott (SANspotter)
Good point – I certainly wouldn’t mind being the guy to offer assistance at the end of the slide, but I don’t want to be the last one off the plane.
Ken A
When sitting in an exit row, you are not required to be the last person remaining on your burning aircraft. Additionally, when selecting an exit row seat, you are not asked if you prefer non-smoking, smoking, or burnt beyond recognition.
Scott (SANspotter)
Non-smoking for me – always! But yeah, even though they never mention it explicitly, when they say “you will be required to assist the crew in the event of an emergency” I always assume it means being one of the last off the plane.
Patrick
There is a correction that needs to be made for non-reclining seats. It is the seats in front of exit rows that you can’t recline. The non exit row right in front the exit row can’t be reclined either since it would interfere with the exit row in an emergency. The rear most exit row can actually recline all the way on most aircraft.
Scott (SANspotter)
Thanks Patrick, you are correct. I guess what I was trying to say (but missed the mark on) was that if there are two rows of exit seats, the first row won’t recline. That’s what I don’t like. Anyway, I’ll update it so that it’s more clear.
Justin
Completely agree with all of your points. Bag access is probably the biggest and the awkward flight attendant interactions aren’t my favorite lol.
Scott (SANspotter)
Considering that one of my main priorities when flying is to avoid direct communication other humans, the flight attendant thing is definitely one of the worst.
Peter
I took my first 2 exit row flights this year (at least that I can remember), and my thoughts are that it’s only really worth it for the legroom. But, there’s so much of it that I feel like it outweighs the disadvantages, which are the lack of an armrest by the window (it didn’t bother me that much once I got used it, only at the beginning), the fact that you can’t store stuff under the seat in front, the lack of recline (well, only if there’s another exit row behind) and, of course, the added responsibility. I was also going to say that the view is worse, but it actually didn’t bother me that much, and on both flights I was still able to see plenty of stuff, and even then the wing is still nice to look at.
I also found it interesting that there’s some variation between airlines & aircraft types. My two exit row flights were on an Air Europa 737 & Iberia CRJ-1000, and the former had a window shade that went up & you could extend the tray table, whereas the CRJ didn’t have a window shade at all, and the seatback had 2 bolts that prevented the tray table latch from moving, but there was one in the armrest.
Overall, I like the exit row and would fly on it again in the future, but I definitely understand why others would avoid it.
Scott (SANspotter)
Yeah, the variety in the different configurations is probably the most interesting thing about exit row seats. I wouldn’t consider it a good thing though (since it’s never fun to not know what to expect).
You bring up a good point about the view though. As someone who’s always taking pictures (and video), being directly over the wing isn’t all that interesting. I’m tempted to add it to the list…
Peter
Agreed, the variety in exit row configurations can’t really be considered a good thing, but at least they’re only small differences.
Regarding the view, I actually think looking at the wing & seeing it move is kind of fun! But yeah, it’s definitely nowhere near as interesting as the views of the ground.