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Thomas Cook Airlines has unveiled, in a new study, that when it comes to choosing where to sit on a plane, the elevated view of the world below from the window seat is the most popular option.
In a survey of 2000 British tourists the company discovered that 61% of airline passengers take the window seat, 31% select the aisle seat, with only 2% choosing the middle seat.
Victoria McCarthy, first officer at Thomas Cook Airlines said: “As pilots, we are lucky to have the best office window in the world, so when we take our customers on holiday, we try to use the PA as much as we can to let them know what they can actually see out of the window – not just the routing information. It might be an incredible view of Venice or the Alps – I never take it for granted, so it’s important to me that everyone enjoys the whole flying experience.”
Why flyers prefer the window seat
83% of those who picked the window seat did so for the incredible views that can be enjoyed on the flight – 64% even said they would be prepared to pay extra to secure their desired window seat. Other reasons were because of being less likely to be disturbed (44%) and being able to sleep more comfortably (38%).
When it comes to the reasons why people prefer the aisle seat, 73% of respondents said it was because they liked being able to leave their seat with ease.
Top views from the window seat are:
- Manchester Airport – Enfidha-Hammamet Airport (Enfidha, Tunisia): The Alps
- Manchester Airport – McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas, US): Grand Canyon, Las Vegas Strip
- London Gatwick – Cape Town International: Table Mountain
- London Stansted – Skiathos International Airport: Croatian coast, Greek islands
- Manchester Airport – San Francisco International Airport: Greenland, Golden Gate Bridge
- Manchester Airport– John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York, US): Manhattan Island
- London Stansted – Oslo Airport: Norwegian fjords, Aurora Borealis
- London Gatwick – Orlando International Airport: Kennedy Space Center, London Skyline
