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Aug 29, 2023

3 Reasons Why Window Seats Are Always Popular

Window seats offer perspectives on the world below and on the flight itself available nowhere else. From first-timers to frequent flyers, it seems most with an interest in aviation want to snag the

Window seats offer perspectives on the world below and on the flight itself available nowhere else.

From first-timers to frequent flyers, it seems most with an interest in aviation want to snag the window seat. Despite making it more challenging to get up to use the restroom or to take a moment to stretch the legs around the cabin, the window seat helps make the trip be about more than just getting from point A to point B. It becomes about the view, about the aircraft, about aviation.

While aisle seats have their benefits, it is hard to ignore the fact that, from the moment the aircraft taxis onto the runway until it touches down at the destination, the window seat offers a vantage point other passengers do not get. As the plane ascends into the skies, window-seat passengers are treated to a breathtaking panorama that unfurls—a tapestry of landscapes, cities, and natural wonders.

Looking out the window while more than 30,000 feet above the ground provides a unique perspective on the world below that, until only the last century, no human had ever before witnessed. Distant mountain ranges appear as if they were mere hills, rivers carve serpentine paths through the earth, and sprawling metropolises shrink to toy-like proportions.

From sunrises that paint the sky with hues of orange and pink to the twinkling lights of a cityscape at night, the window seat presents airline passengers with a front-row ticket to some of the world’s best views.

Airline travel can be overwhelming. Airports can present a hurried and sometimes stressful experience, and even the plane itself can often be a less-than-comfortable place, with sometimes hundreds of passengers crammed into a relatively small space.

The window seat, however, can offer a sense of escapism, a place from which to daydream while gazing out at the landscapes, cities, and clouds below. When you slide into the snug space by the window, the outside world becomes a canvas upon which you can project your thoughts, dreams, and imagination.

Those who love aviation often attest that takeoff and landing are the most exciting parts of a flight. During takeoff, the engines roar to life as the aircraft accelerates down the runway at speeds most people otherwise never reach. Later, as the plane begins its descent, passengers can feel their seats dropping from beneath them, and the final moments before touchdown can sometimes even come with a rush of adrenaline for some (for better or for worse).

While the sensations that come with flight exist for everyone onboard, the window seat offers a view of the world dramatically shifting from stationary to a blur of motion as it takes off. Likewise, During the landing phase, the window seat provides a glimpse of the world as its features grow and cities below come to life with detail once again.

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Not everyone enjoys flying, of course. For some, the experience can even be nerve-wracking. Nervous flyers may find that the window seat can offer a sense of control and distraction. As the plane maneuvers through takeoff and landing, passengers can focus on the visual cues outside the window, helping to alleviate anxiety and keep nerves at bay.

What other reasons do you love the window seat? Why might you avoid it? Let us know in the comments below.

Matt's eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. A former newspaper editor, Matt is a lifelong avgeek whose earliest memories include talking aviation with his grandfather, a retired US Air Force pilot. Matt has lived in Greece, Czechia, and Germany for studies and for work, and is currently based in the US, near Dallas. Matt recently took the plunge to become a pilot himself and is transitioning into an aviation career.