Why I Choose To Sit in Bulkhead Seats in Business and First Class 

If you’re flying and sitting in the forward cabin, you’ve got 2 choices of where to sit: a bulkhead seat or a non-bulkhead seat. If I’m flying up front, I much prefer sitting in a bulkhead seat as I find that there is more space to spread out, it’s easier to get up, and you don’t have to worry about other passengers reclining into you. While it may be an unpopular opinion, I find the bulkhead seats to be the best on the plane! Let’s take a look at why!

What Is a Bulkhead Seat?

If you’re not familiar, a bulkhead seat is a seat immediately behind a fixed wall. This wall is usually right in front of the first row in first class and business class, though it may also separate first class from economy class on certain types of planes.

5 Advantages of Bulkhead Seats

1. No Passengers Reclining Into You

If you’ve ever been on a plane before, you’ve likely dreaded the passenger in front of you reclining their seat all the way after take off for a snooze. These seats recline into your personal space, and there’s less room to move around or use your tray table in front of you.

When you sit in a bulkhead seat, you don’t have this problem as there’s no one seated in front of you. You won’t have to worry about a passenger reclining their seat to reduce your room, or worse … someone reclining their seat unexpectedly, forcing over any beverages on the tray table, or collapsing the laptop you were working on.

2. Easier To Get Up and Use the Restroom

If you’re in a window seat, you know the worst feeling is having to get up and use the restroom and forcing the person next to you to get up as well. In most first class configurations, it’s almost impossible to sneak out from the window seat when you’re not at a bulkhead without having the passenger in the aisle seat get up or, at the very least, contort themselves into a ball to allow you to pass. It’s an uncomfortable situation, for sure.

When you’re in a bulkhead seat, this anxiety is reduced as it’s far easier to get out. In many cases, you can simply step over the aisle seat person’s legs or hug the wall, preventing the aisle person from having to get up. Even if that person has to get up, it’s a lot easier to get out from the window seat since you don’t have a seat immediately in front of you.

3. More Legroom

Bulkhead seats tend to have more space for you to stretch out, though the legroom is certainly different than the seats behind. Depending on the plane and airline you’re flying, you may not be able to stretch out your legs fully, however, you do have much more space at your knees. In most cases, you should be able to cross your legs, which is something the other seats may not be able to do, thanks to airline’s reducing the amount of separation between seats, even in first class.

In the standard seats behind the bulkhead row, you can usually extend your legs under the seat in front, which is especially helpful for taller people.

4. Priority Service

Depending on the airline, you may be given your choice of drink and meal first if you’re seated in the bulkhead seats, which are the first seats in the cabin. While not every airline employs this procedure, many airlines do, and it’s a good way to ensure that you have your first preference of drink and meal, especially if there may be limited stock on board.

If the airline doesn’t automatically start with the first row, they may serve based on the direction of the flight (east or west) or take orders from specific elite passengers first.

5. First off the Plane

If you’re seated in the bulkhead seats, you’ll be one of the first ones off the plane when you land, which is especially great if you have a tight connection. Depending on how far away your flights are, every second counts, so having a little bit of a leg-up by sitting up front can help.

4 Downsides of Bulkhead Seats

There are several downsides to sitting in a bulkhead seat, however, and some of these may be game-changers for you.

1. Limited Legroom

While I mentioned that there was additional legroom, depending on the plane and airline, there can be limited room to extend your legs. The best way to select a good seat is to use a website like SeatGuru.

2. Required To Store Bags

If you’re in a bulkhead seat, you must store your bag in the overhead bin for taxi, takeoff, and landing. This is an FAA requirement, and you can’t keep any bags at your seat, which could be bothersome for some passengers, especially if you want to keep the stuff in your bag handy. Even though you must put your bag in the overhead bin, you can always retrieve it once you’re in the air.

3. May Need To Board Early

Because you have to put your bag up for taxi, takeoff, and landing, you should arrive on the plane at the beginning of boarding to ensure your items can be stowed. If you know you’re going to arrive late to the boarding process, you may want to consider not sitting in a bulkhead seat, so you don’t have to put your bag in a bin further back in the plane.

4. Inflight Entertainment Screens

If you’re on a plane with built-in inflight entertainment screens, these are usually fixed on the bulkhead wall, at least when flying a U.S. carrier. Some passengers complain about these screens being at an odd angle since they can’t really be adjusted, so if you’re someone who would prefer a better viewing experience, you may want to sit in a non-bulkhead seat, where you can angle the screen to your liking.

Final Thoughts

I prefer selecting bulkhead seats when I fly because I think they provide the best place to stretch out in first class, offer the most convenience for getting in and out of the aisle, and allow me to be off the plane first when we land. I know many people will disagree with my assessment and will prefer the seats behind, but I think bulkhead seats offer additional unwritten amenities that can’t be beaten!