If you’re one of those people who knows the model of airplane you’re flying, we’ve got something special for you.  Everyone else who flies, take notice.

Originally a website which was launched over 10 years ago in 2001, SeatGuru has since grown up after being purchased by Expedia / Tripadvisor and is now available in app form for iOS and Android.

What is SeatGuru?

SeatGuru allows you to put your flight information into a handy search box, and gives you advice for seating on the particular aircraft you will be flying on.  Not only that, but you can see things such as seating maps, seat reviews, which seats have the most legroom, and which to avoid.  For example, you may want to avoid seats close to the toilets as there will be a lot of foot traffic, or seats that are unable to recline.

How to Use SeatGuru

First, you will need to download the app (free!) from the iTunes Store or Google Play.

When you start the app, you’re given three options:

1) Find a Flight Seatmap

2) Search for Flights

3) Find Flight Status

What we’re interested in is the seatmaps.  I’m sure the flight search and flight status are fantastic (and run by parent company Expedia), but other apps handle those all the time.  No big deal.

For seat advice, you can search by Flight #, Route, or the Airline itself.  I have a flight coming up on Etihad Airlines so I checked it out.

So here is the aircraft.  Notice the red, yellow, and green coloured seats?  You can click them for more information.  As you would suspect, green seats have some advantages, yellow are worth watching out for, and red are best avoided.

In the case of the yellow seats above, it notes that because the row directly in front is 4 seats wide instead of three, the seat anchors may be in the way of your legs.  Also, the tray tables and screens are in the armrests instead of the seats in front of you, which may be an inconvenience.

The red seats (here in the back row) are a double whammy of bad news.  They may have limited reclining ability, and they are right next to the washrooms.  That means that while you’re trying to catch some shut-eye, there will be others pacing down the aisles beside you trying their best to hold it in while they wait their turn to use the lavatory.

Finally, the info screen provides some extra information about the plane and its extras.  In the case of the Airbus A330-200 on Etihad, business class gets your nearly 90 degrees of seat pitch, while economy gets you 33 degrees or less.  That’s where your hard earned cash (or points) are going to!

Why Use SeatGuru?

If you are an avid flier, SeatGuru can be invaluable.  The difference between a good flight and a bad flight can often be in the details, and if you can avoid the problem seats beforehand, chances are that you’ll have a better flight.

Now if only they had a feature to tell you where the kids that kick the back of your seat will be sitting so you can avoid them like the plague…

Are you choosy about where you sit on flights?  Are you an Aisle or window person?  Do you pay extra for the exit rows?

See more of our Android and iPhone / iPad app reviews.

Dustin Main

One of the editors of Too Many Adapters, Dustin just can’t get enough travel or technology.

When not directly feeding his above insatiable habits, you can probably find him at some far away ice cream shop taking pictures and tweeting of all the flavors to jealous followers. That, or on top of a mountain somewhere shooting panoramas with his DSLR.