Yes, You Can Be Comfy--Even in Coach

You can put up with a cramped coach seat for a one-hour flight to San Francisco or Phoenix. But what about a five- to six-hour transcontinental flight? Or an 11- to 12-hour trip to Europe or Asia?

“If you don’t have a business- class ticket or cannot upgrade into that comfortable cabin with your frequent-flier miles,” says Susanna Hecht, a UCLA professor who frequently travels to Europe and Latin America, “shrink yourself to 4 feet tall, pack your own food and bring plenty of melatonin so you can sleep through the flight.”

If you must fly coach, here are some proven strategies to help you get the most comfortable seating on your flight.

* Get the best seat.

If possible, attain “elite” or “very frequent flier” status in an airline frequent-flier program so you can gain access to the most desirable coach seats, such as those in the bulkhead or emergency-exit rows, which have more legroom. Other sought-after coach seats are those near the front of the cabin; they enable you to get on and off the plane quickly.

At American Airlines and United Airlines, for example, elite status comes with flying 25,000 miles annually. But note that United Shuttle flights accrue only actual miles, not the usual 500-mile minimum.

Most airline reservation systems now save preferred coach seats for their best customers--the very frequent business travelers who are loyal to the airline and who often buy the most expensive last-minute or midweek coach tickets.

If you’re not an elite member of a frequent-flier program, you or your travel agent usually cannot get all those choice seat assignments unless you are buying a full-fare coach ticket. So what can you do?

Plenty. First, decide whether you want an aisle or window seat.

Next, request a seat toward the back of the plane, because it always fills up last. Or ask for a seat in Row 13. You’d be surprised how many people avoid that row out of superstition.

If you and a companion are traveling on a narrow-body plane such as a 737 or 757 with three-and-three seating, or an MD-80 with three-and-two seating, select an aisle and a window seat, leaving a middle seat between you. Unless the flight is quite full, the middle seat will probably remain empty, giving you more room to spread out.

If you’re flying alone on a wide-body plane such as the 767, DC-10 or 747, choose an aisle seat in the center section. If the flight isn’t crowded, the undesirable middle seat will remain empty.

* Select a plane with above-average coach seating.

All coach seats are not created equal. “On most carriers, the narrow-body 737 and 757 are cattle cars to be avoided, particularly when airlines use this plane for long-haul flights like Los Angeles to Chicago,” says Ed Perkins, editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter. “Some airlines are even using the 757 for less busy transcontinental flights.”

The new narrow-body A-320 is probably the best of the narrow bodies, Perkins says. “The seats are relatively wide, and they have sculpted sides and headrests to fit the human body better.”

“The A-320 is a comfortable plane for several reasons,” says Bob Ketelsen, manager of aircraft interior planning at United. “The overall cabin cross-section is larger than the 727 or 737, so that allows 1-inch-wider seats. The sculpted, well-padded seat cushions and backs also provide greater ergonomic support. Finally, the seats have adjustable up-and-down sculpted headrests so passengers can gain greater head and neck support.”

How do the different wide-body planes, used for long flights, rate for comfort?

“The 747 unquestionably has the worst coach cabins because airlines have crammed so many seats into that space and because many passengers get stuck with middle seats due to the typical three-four-three configuration,” Perkins says.

The vote is still out on the new 777. “The plane is almost as wide as the 747,” says Perkins, “but it’s the airlines that determine the seat configuration and legroom, not Boeing.

“If the airlines put in nine-across seating, as some carriers have done, the plane could be a winner. But the 777 can also accommodate 10-across seating, which would be terrible. Find out before you pay for your ticket.

“The 767 clearly has the most comfortable coach seating,” Perkins says. “The seats are as wide as coach seats typically come. The two-three-two configuration minimizes the number of undesirable middle seats. You must reach a heavy load before you use the middles, and those are only one seat from an aisle.”

* Select an airline with above-average coach seating.

Do a little research. Some airlines offer above-average coach seating, particularly the smaller ones trying to find a niche.

Midwest Express, which operates out of Milwaukee, usually tops surveys of U.S. airlines because it has comfortable two-and-two seating on its narrow-body planes.

“On two recent trips to Boston, I could have gotten nonstop flights,” says Alan Emery, executive director of a California nonprofit organization. “But I chose Midwest. The comfortable seats and good meals more than made up for the quick change of planes in Milwaukee.”

“Alaska and TWA also offer above-average coach cabins,” says Perkins.

To get detailed information on coach seating, study the June 1995 issue of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, which rated the comfort of each type of aircraft at each major U.S. and international airline. The magazine will publish another rating article in mid-1997.

* Final advice for when you’re at the gate.

But what can you do if you bought your ticket late or if you forgot to get a seat assignment when you made your reservation? Are you doomed to the purgatory of a middle seat on a flight to New York or Honolulu?

Not necessarily. You can always take your case to the seat selection “court of appeals”--the gate agent.

Most airlines release pre-assigned seats of passengers who do not show up 15 minutes before flight. “If you want a better seat, check in early” and then go back later, says Bernie DeSena, general manager for American Airlines at Los Angeles International Airport. A return visit to the counter just before the flight might get you a better seat from one of the no-shows.

“If all else fails,” says UCLA professor Susanne Hecht, “wait until the crew closes the door of the plane. Then go find a better seat. Most flights have plenty of no-shows. Leave your baggage in the overhead bin. You can get it later, after you stake your claim to a more comfortable seat. Your knees and lower back will thank you later.”