SeatGuru
Before my flight to Munich, I had to check in and pick my seats. I remember my parents telling me about seatguru.com. The website is basically a database of information about seats on different aircraft. Since each airline has different configurations in each of their planes, you select an airline first, and then your aircraft. I knew I was flying on a British Airways Boeing 777. From there, you simply browse the seat map, and hover your mouse over each seat to see what ammenities it has, and if there are any positive or negative ratings about it. A white seat indicates a normal airline seat, a green one indicates many positive ratings, yellow is a bit of warning, and red means that the seat is awful. Most of the seats I found were white, and only a few are green, so the site mostly tells you which seats to avoid.
First Class on Emirates Airbus A380
However, I really enjoyed browsing through all the different aircraft and viewing the seat maps. For example, the largest commercial airliner as of now is the Airbus A380, which is two levels for the entire length of the plane. Only three airlines own this plane, Emirates, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines, but each configures theirs differently. After review, I have decided that I would definitely fancy first class flying on the Emirates Airbus A380. First off, notice the review, which says “Seat 2-4 A is a standard suite.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t know what a “standard suite” is. There is nothing standard about a suite on a plane, unless you call having to fight with your neighbor for armrest space “sweet.”
Also notice the shower and self-serve bar located at the front of the plane. So basically, you’re on one of the longest flights on the planet, which could be maybe 14-16 hours long, you pay an arm and a leg, and… well, you get to drink until the point at which you can’t serve yourself, pass out in your sweet suite, wake up a few hours later, shower to clean yourself up and ease the hangover, and maybe have time to do it again (drink the first hangover away?).
Also note that the first row is yellow. If you mouse-over, people have complained about the proximity to the bar, stairs, and shower. The reviewers claim that there is more traffic through this area, which of course constitutes complaints and bad reviews. Well, if you people who actually get the opportunity to review that kind of seat want, I’d be more than happy to trade and take that yellow-rated seat off your hands.
All in all, seatguru.com did its job for me; it entertained me for a few hours, and then told me which seats to avoid on the 777. From reading the site, I was able to determine where the infants would be sitting, which seats would lean back or not, and which seats were going to get bumped by the carts. Also, I enjoyed the complimentary alcohol British Airways was so kind to provide on the flight over the Atlantic.