Gadling's guide to getting betters seats: restrictions and openings

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As a former basketball player who's ONLY 6'6" tall, I can tell you that I see red whenever I've tried and tried to acquire an exit or bulkhead seat online and/or at the airport, only to find rows of short folks smugly settling into those seats because they've successfully gamed the system, probably using tricks from this website. Some airlines now have such bad coach legroom that I've stood in back for most of a flight. Listen folks, I can't WALK to Europe! If you really don't need the friggin' legroom, don't be a greedy pig. Get yourself a nice aisle seat somewhere else.

8-06-2008 @ 6:52PM

jenny said...

Couldn't agree more. My husband is the same height as you are, and I'm almost 6' myself. We can usually get bulkhead/exit row seats by pleading our case at the ticket counter (they only have to look at us to see we need those seats), but when we cannot, it angers me beyond belief to see people who do not NEED those seats taking them. On a recent flight to Portland, my husband was so uncomfortable and could not extend his legs or straighten out his knees that he had trouble getting up at the end of the flight (and he's only 33 years old!). At least people reclining into him isn't a problem, because his knees completely block them from being able to do so.

I hate flying. It causes so much anxiety. But I do it a lot anyway.

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