How to get the best seats on flights, restaurants and at the theatre without spending a penny more.
By Sue Hayward
Fed up finding you’ve got the seat next to the loo on planes? Or sick of being fobbed off with a table near the door in restaurants? Here’s how to get the best seats every time.
On flights
Before buying your ticket find out which airlines have the biggest seats and most legroom at airline review website Skytrax. Then check the layout of your flight so you know which seats to ask for at check-in using online seating plans available at seatguru.
Obviously if we’re talking big savings when comparing flight prices, you might want to go for a cheaper fare and sacrifice a couple of inches of legroom but if fares are around the same price check for those big seats first.
If it’s cheap seats you’re after, look for budget airline flights going midweek and during the day. These tend to be cheaper as business travellers snap up the early morning ones or those on a Monday and Friday.
Once you’ve booked your trip, find out how to get a free flight upgrade.
In restaurants
Avoid turning up Friday and Saturday evening when restaurants are at their busiest. If you’ve booked ahead, fine: but even then you may need to book well in advance for one of the better tables if you’re going to a popular place.
And when you’re in a restaurant, always look around for what you think is the best table and either ask for its number or memorise the location so you can book it next time.
If you’re after a long lunch, avoid restaurants that operate a two-hour table policy during busy times or book a late lunch around 2pm so you’ve less chance of being moved on. But if you hate waiting, then book a midday lunch so you’ll be first in the door to a free table.
At the movies
For the best seats in terms of price, you can’t do much better than snapping up free tickets: sign up for free at seefilmfirst (no longer available) where you could get spare tickets for media screenings and previews.
But if you’re paying with your own hard-earned cash, for the best sound and picture quality check where the “deluxe seating” is, as sitting anywhere around these seats usually offers the best view.
Turn up early if it’s a popular film as many cinemas don’t offer a seat booking service unless you pay the deluxe prices.
Paying on the day? Joining the box office queue is usually the only way to avoid hefty online booking charges but Cineworld is now running a pilot scheme in certain venues to ditch online booking fees and make advance booking cheaper than box-office prices.
At the theatre
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking front row seats are always the best; in some theatres the first few rows of the stalls can be so close to the stage you spend the evening peering upwards to see the action.
Check the theatre’s seating plan at theatremonkey which flags up seats with restricted views, as well as those that are less comfortable, those near the sound desk or any that may prove difficult for children to get a clear view.
Depending on the theatre, from around four rows back in the stalls is usually a good view along with the front row of the balcony or dress circle, although up there you may have more restricted legroom than the stalls.
