The Best Plane Seats To Book If You Have A Tight Connection, Per A Flight Attendant

There's only one thing worse than a long layover: a tight connection. Trying to catch a flight soon after getting off another can be a stressful experience, especially if there are delays during the first leg of your journey. It's wise to leave at least a couple of hours between flights, but when that's not an option, the next best strategy is to carefully choose your plane seats.

To find out which seats offer the quickest exit during a short layover, Explore spoke exclusively with Barbi, a journalist and veteran flight attendant with nearly 40 years of experience flying for a major U.S. carrier. As you might've guessed, the air travel expert suggests booking a seat near the front of the plane. Not only does this mean you may have to spend money (depending on the airline) to reserve a seat, but you might have to shell out extra to upgrade to business or first class.

Keep in mind that you could still miss your next flight, even after securing a seat near the front of the aircraft. As Barbi explains, "The sheer amount of air travel these days means more and more flights, which has a cascade effect on timing." In other words, expect delays and give yourself ample time to get from one gate to the next.

If you can't nab a seat in one of the front rows, Barbi has a few other tips for disembarking swiftly. First, the flight attendant suggests packing light and having your items ready to go upon landing. "That means your laptop, phone, cables, headphones, passport, wallet, and any other items you [have] taken out during the flight all put away. Also, put your shoes on before the plane lands so you're literally ready to go when the seatbelt sign goes off and the aircraft door opens," she urges.

Barbi also recommends checking your gate before arriving for your connection and planning your route to get there. This information is often available online or even in the magazines provided in the seat pockets, but if you can't find a map of your terminal, the airline veteran notes that you may be able to get directions from the flight attendants on board. On that note, Barbi also adds that the cabin crew may assist you in deplaning early — but only if you're kind. "SOMETIMES flight attendants will try to move passengers closer to the front of the aircraft before landing," she says. "But that's always based on if we have seats available and overhead luggage space. Of course, that kind of customer service is also contingent on how you treat your crew." As she explains, if you're rude or demanding, don't expect the flight attendants to go out of their way to help.