Latest news with #businessClass
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
I fly economy about once a week. Here are the best seats to book on a plane — and rows I always avoid.
I'm a frequent flyer and I love an aisle seat in first or business class. If I'm in economy, I go for an aisle seat in an exit row or behind a bulkhead so I get more legroom. Generally, I try to get an aisle seat and avoid sitting near a bathroom or galley. As a frequent traveler, I fly almost every week. Last year, I went on 62 flights. Naturally, I have developed a number of preferences when it comes to where I'm sitting on a plane. My favorite place to sit is in an aisle seat in business or first class. But even my Premier 1K status on United doesn't always get me upgraded, so I make sure to be strategic when studying that seat map for economy. Here are the seats I try to choose on a plane when I want a comfortable, pleasant flight. When I can't snag an upgrade, you'll find me in the aisle seat in the roomy exit row. If my aircraft has two exit rows, one behind the other, which is the case for the Boeing 737 Max aircraft on which I often travel, I select the row closer to the back of the cabin. Because of safety regulations, the exit row in front of me can't recline into my exit row, which prevents inconsiderate passengers from leaning back into my personal space. Just keep in mind that exit row seats also come with certain requirements, including the willingness to help other passengers in an emergency. I'm also known to select seats in the bulkhead row that's directly behind a wall, curtain, or screen because they often come with extra legroom. Plus, I can guarantee there won't be a passenger in front of me reclining right into my lap. For me, this spot has one drawback: There are no seats in front of me to store my bag under, and I can't keep it by my feet for safety reasons. So if I book this seat, I try to board quickly and secure space in a nearby overhead bin so I can access my belongings throughout the flight. When I'm with a travel companion and we want to sit together in a typical three-seat row, one of us will end up with the dreaded middle seat. Since being next to the aisle is basically a nonnegotiable for me, I'll instead book two aisle seats directly across from one another. This way, we're still close enough to chat and feel like we're traveling together, but we still have a decent amount of space. Another (riskier) strategy is to book the window and aisle of the same row — if you're lucky, the middle seat might remain empty. I've been on many trips where the flight attendant gets on the intercom to ask most passengers to remain seated while several people with tight connections deboard. Unfortunately, I've often seen that request ignored. So if I have a connecting flight to catch and only an hour or so to do it, I book an aisle seat as close to the front of the cabin as possible. Those extra few minutes when everyone is fiddling with their overhead luggage could mean the difference between making or missing my next flight. A seat by a bathroom isn't preferable for several reasons. For one thing, passengers might be lining up throughout the flight to wait to use it. This means spending a lot of the flight with butts near your face. You'll also frequently hear the toilet flushing, and bad aromas may waft out the door, neither of which goes well with your pretzels and ginger ale. I also avoid sitting near a galley area, which can also have a lot of foot traffic because it's where flight attendants prep the food and beverage service. This spot is convenient if you want to grab another drink or get your meal quickly, but it can get noisy and busy. This is especially important to keep in mind if you're a light sleeper. Read the original article on Business Insider
News.com.au
08-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Virgin Australia unveils its new winter menu
Virgin Australia has just revamped its menu offering across its economy and business class cabins with some great Aussie classics making the cut. If you're a fan of the good ol' chicken parmi (or parma) you'll be pleased to know you can order it 35,000ft in the air in business class, as the airline unveils its new winter menu. Those on the pointy end have plenty to choose from, with roughly 17 new lunch and dinner items on rotation, from Italy, Japan, India and Mexico. For those craving pasta there's the risoni pasta and vegetable salad with grilled chicken or gnocchi leek and mushroom ragout. If Japanese food is what you prefer the soba noodle and slaw salad with grilled chicken, soy caramel dressing and sesame, can tick that box. And as for Indian and Mexican dishes, there's chickpea masala with herbed jasmine rice and optional tandoori chicken, as well as a three-bean quesadilla with sour cream and salsa. Of course, if an Aussie classic is what you're after, there's the chicken parmigiana with mixed roast vegetables and sweet potato wedges. Brekky items include dragonfruit and coconut oat balls, plain yoghurt with cranberry and apple granola, strawberry and honey – and banana bread with honey lemon ricotta. The new menu comes into effect on May 28. Those in economy also don't miss out with five new 'buy on board' items to choose from – including the savoury beef snack pie and sausage roll served side-by-side, triple cheese and caramelised onion sandwich and Italian indulgences from St Food Co such as the creamy spinach and ricotta tortellini. It can all be washed down with the popular Archie Rose peach gin and soda. 'At Virgin Australia, we believe flying should be as enjoyable as the destination, right down to what's served on-board,' Kyler Chong, Virgin Australia's general manager product & customer strategy, said. 'Our new winter menu embodies our passion for bringing personality to the skies, featuring fresh, flavour-packed options designed to add value and delight at every bite.' Meanwhile, the airline also announced it will give Velocity Frequent Flyer members travelling on new long-haul services to Doha (VA1-29) and beyond with Qatar Airways (launching from June 2025) a USD$20 Dine on Us voucher to redeem at selected food outlets at Hamad International Airport's restaurants. The Dine on Us offer is part of a suite of premium benefits for Gold and Platinum Velocity members, alongside complimentary Advance Seat Selection, Priority Baggage, Points upgrades to Business Class from 1 July 2025, and additional baggage allowance.
