The Infuriating Reason Your Airplane Seat Never Lines Up With The Window Anymore

In recent years, window-seat lovers across the globe have encountered that infuriating moment when you get to your seat, and the window is either too far forward or too far back for you to enjoy the view. These travelers are then forced to lean forward or twist their heads for that coveted bird's-eye view, adding additional aches and pains to travel plans. These days, it feels like the chance of getting a good view from a window seat is dwindling year by year, and there's an infuriating reason why it's happening.

Hand-in-hand with other luxuries like leg space, airlines have been doing their best to increase the capacity of their aircraft by adding extra rows. Airlines get to choose how many rows of seats to install in their aircraft (which affects leg room and window viewing), but it's airplane manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing that decide the number of windows each aircraft has. While airlines can negotiate with manufacturers for certain window placements on new planes, they can't change the number of windows on a plane that's currently in operation.

According to an aerospace engineer and former Boeing employee, adding more windows even increases drag, which affects safety and sustainable measures like fuel efficiency. In some cases, window placement is even structurally critical to the aircraft. So, from a business perspective, it will be far too expensive to re-certify any reconfigured aircraft.

What is there to do about it? Sure, you can just sit back and forget the view altogether, but there's actually a way to figure out the best window seat. Before you book your seat, make note of your airline and model of plane. You can actually look up the seating plans of most airlines, and while this method may not be perfect, you could score that gorgeous bird's-eye view on your next vacation.

Fortunately, you don't have to sleuth through the depths of the internet to find this information. Aero Lopa is a fantastic resource for travelers hoping to get the best view possible, since they have seating plans available for most airlines. Simply choose your airline and model from the list, and find a seat that works best for you. With any luck, it will still be available when you choose your seat, although it might be a good idea to find a few backups in case your flight fills sooner than expected.

Modern-day airfare is a far cry from what it once was, but hopefully, you'll never have to suffer a poor view on an airplane again. Just sit back, relax, and actually enjoy the view. If you enjoyed this travel hack, check out some of the most clever tips and tricks flight attendants use while they are passengers or see how this fashionable luggage tip can help prevent lost bags.