Travel writer and former flight attendant, Todd Sturm, explains to us exactly what turbulence is, where the best seats are on the plane during turbulence, and why the nervous flyer among us need not worry. And the best seat may not be where you think it is …
Flying can be stressful at the best of times, but from time to time we have to deal with the unavoidable discomfort of turbulence when in the air. Try to enjoy your cup of hot tea or coffee during rough air and you’re likely to get more in your lap or on the floor and sleeping on a plane can be challenging. But it’s all part of the travel experience, right?
But as inconvenient as the swirling gusts of wind can be at cruising altitude, the swaying motions are generally little more than an irritation. If you stay seated with your seatbelt fastened, turbulence is usually a harmless distraction to what is otherwise a smooth flight.
Sometimes though, the effects of mild turbulence can be diminished when you know where to sit on the plane. So select the right seat early during the booking process and it can make all the difference in the air.
What is turbulence?
The first thing to note is that turbulence is completely normal and nothing to be fearful of. Like driving to work each day, you will encounter the occasional bump in the road. The same goes for flying. As aircraft push their way through the air, they are flying through the jet stream (a flow of air between the boundaries of hot and cold air – just like a superhighway in the sky). Sometimes these highways cross paths, and when the conflicting air movements meet, it can cause turbulence. But while most turbulence is mild, it’s important to remember that it can be severe. For that reason, it’s always important to keep your seat belt fastened while seated.
First row
While it’s impossible to fully avoid turbulence, sitting in the front of the plane can reduce the swaying motions and up and down ‘bumps’ that are felt more acutely in the trailing tail of the plane. In heavy turbulence, the benefit of seat location all but disappears, but for light or moderate turbulence, a seat in front of the aircraft can help.
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Over-wing exit
Perhaps the best place to sit on an aircraft during turbulence is over the wing. The wings act as a stabiliser, giving passengers in the middle of the plane a smoother ride. For an even more comfortable ride, try to reserve a seat in the overwing window exit where greater legroom equates to more personal space. With more space, flying during turbulent conditions can become a little bit less stressful.
Window Seat
Occupying a window seat may not help with the effects of turbulence, but it can reduce the chances of injury when objects like baggage, drinks trolleys, or yes, even people, start flying around the cabin; as rare as this is.
As good a job as cabin crews do in making sure that people and objects remain secured, stowed and buckled in at all times, there is the potential for falling objects in unexpected moderate or severe turbulence.
While these types of injuries are very rare, the potential is there when encountering ‘smooth air turbulence,’ a type of turbulence that cannot be detected in advance by the pilots advanced computer and weather monitoring systems.
Select your seat ahead of time
Of course, every airline and aircraft will have a different seat configuration, but finding the best seats in advance is a breeze with seatguru.com. This online service provides cabin configurations for almost every major airline in the world across their multiple aircraft types.
Check what aircraft type you’re on when making your booking to help find the right seat map. If you’re not sure what the aircraft type is, simply call your airline to confirm or check with your travel agent or person that made the booking.
Best way to protect yourself during turbulence
The only sure way to protect yourself against turbulence is by having your seat belt secured at all times when seated. Even on a smooth flight and a clear day, turbulence can be encountered at any time unexpectedly. If sleeping, make sure your seatbelt is fastened on the outside of your blanket so the flight attendants don’t have to wake you when the seat belt sign comes on.
