I am a World traveler. That is official. I love travelling, that is uncontestable. The issue however is how I get to all my favourite places and the exotic places I always find myself. Flying is not my cup of tea but I occasionally enjoy it, more often when I am sleeping on a long haul flight or if I am watching the huge balls of clouds, cocooned, soft to the eye and reassuring of God’s infinite grace. Other times I enjoy flying is when I watch through the window seat, the artistry of the World’s creation. Totally amazing, awe inspiring and humbling.
Be that as it may if I get a comfortable seat and my neighbor is not a pain, I get on fine in a plane as I make my way to yet another exotic destination. Nordjhaikerhaut (pronounced Northvaikahat) in the Netherlands, Cannes in France, the exotic restaurants in Benin Republic, Perth in Australia, Huairhou in China or Mumbai in India.
I love the sights and sounds of a new city. I explore the food, I wonder on streets, I seek the local markets, I search for bookshops I pick up the language and I scout for luxurious fabrics wherever I go. The last time I was in Nairobi, Kenya, I found a little Indian shop in an obscure part of town where the most bespoke silk fabrics spoke to me. Luxury for a fraction of the price.
But let us return to flying.When I fly, I choose my seat carefully because if you don’t, you will get an awful flying experience. As unnatural as flying is, comfort remains the most important key for frequent flyers like me.
Here are some of the seats to avoid:
(a)The last seat out back which is near the toilet. This is the place you do not want to be because when the toilet queue goes out of control, your seat is threatened and from time to time, you get idiots on the queue who wants to sit on you. In addition, space is crucial when you are flying and you do not want a spiraling queue smack in your face when you are trying to make sense of a quirky movie on board.
(b)You don’t want the middle seat when the man at the window seat has incontinence. So you stand up twenty times to let him out because he needs to go to the loo. Pray how do you get any sleep?
(c)You do not want a talkative neighbor when you fly. Trust me; he/she will want to fill you in on their divorce proceedings, the colour of their cat, the last movie they watched. Really? “Go away sir/ma, I am trying to sleep/pray.”
(d)Worse of all, you do not want a wing seat, otherwise known as the bumpy seat. This is the seat that literally sits on the wing of the plane. This seat is the one that is related to the captain and tied to the plane. For every move, turn and twist you feel it on your chair and you can count all the bumps. When there is turbulence, you experience it more intensely, no matter the cabin.
(e)The emergency exit seat. This is a tough one. You do not want it except you can help it. A crew member walks up to you as the plane taxis to explain to you how important your role is to the entire flight. Excuse me!
“This is how you open the door if there is an emergency, do you think you can do this or will you take another seat?”Okay, I guess because I am a woman, they never even try to sit me in this place. But I have watched grown men turn to putty when the cabin attendant begins to explain how all our lives on board depend on this one man if there is an emergency. It’s not a fun seat.
(f)The seats near the Crew are not fun seats either. You are part of the landscape of their chit chat and when it’s time to serve, you become a part of dish clearing, trolley movement, drawers closing etcetera by virtue of your seat.
Well there you have it!
I have travelled the world and if there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that you need to secure ahead of time, a truly sensible and comfortable seat for your journey.
Your best bet is to book ahead as much as you can, check in as early as you can and build relationships at your local airport so that the check-in officers are partial to you.They know the best seats. Always get to the airport on time. No great seats will be left if you are late. Become a card carrying member of your favourite airline in order to get free tickets, great seats and destination deals.
Now sink into your preferred seat and enjoy
Bon voyage !
Eugenia Abu
