WHERE’S THE SAFEST PLACE TO SIT ON A PLANE?

What’s safer : the front, middle, or back or a plane? Is the aisle or window seat more secure in case of a crash? Over the wing or next to the bathroom?

The safest place to sit on a plane is near the back, according to a Time Magazine analysis from 2015 – specifically, the middle seats in the back third of the plane.

They looked at 35 years of aircrafts accidents as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and found that statistically, you have the highest chance of survival if you sit near the back, in-between the window and aisle seat. 

You know…the worst spot on a plane, where you get two elbows in your lap instead of one, no view, and have to climb over someone to get to the bathroom?

Yeah, that one.

Their analysis found that those seats, nearer to the back, had the best survival rates, around 72%.

Those who sat nearer to the middle of the plane, in aisle seats, were the worst off, with a survival rate of only 66%.

In general, the middle of the aircraft is not where you want to be, no matter what seat number you’re in; it had an overall fatality rate of 39%, compared to 38% in the front, and 32% in the back.

But there are other factors to consider as well.

A 2008 study from the University of Greenwich found that survivors closer to an exit are more likely to get out alive – which makes perfect sense, considering that’s usually the only way out after a crash.

And what about first-class versus coach? 

ARE FIRST-CLASS SEATS SAFER THAN ECONOMY IN A PLANE CRASH?

In what may be the only example of wealthy people facing more risk than the poor, a test crash of the Boeing 737 in 2012, revealed a clear disadvantage to those more expensive seats.

The majority of fatalities were located in the first-class section of the plane.

This confirms the Time Magazine analysis, since the first-class section is located in the front of the plane, so people can board and exit first.

DOES BRACING HELP YOU SURVIVE A PLANE CRASH?

You know those safety speeches they make you sit through, explaining how if a plane crashes the thing to do is brace yourself, head tucked, grabbing your knees?

And you likely scoffed, because what’s that going to do if you’re dropping out of the sky at terminal velocity?

Turns out: bracing does do something after all.

The same study where the crashed a Boeing 737 into the desert revealed the passengers in a brace position fared better than those who remained upright – though leg injuries were still common.

Hey, it’s better than total destruction!

DO SEATBELTS PROTECT YOU IN A PLANE CRASH?

And for those of you doubting the power of a single flimsy waist belt protecting you in a plane crash, think again: that same study showed a marked benefit to wearing your belt. Crash test dummies who weren’t buckled in slid under the seats in front of them, compounding their injuries.

That’s not our only evidence for belts, either. 

When Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed on its approach into San Francisco, only three people died.

This low body count was likely due to the fact that the majority of passengers were wearing their seat belts, officials investigating the crash concluded.

In fact, 2 of the 3 fatalities were not buckled in.

But what if it’s not crashes you’re worried about? After all, plane crashes are exceedingly rare, and dying due to a plane crash is rarer still – your chances are about 1 in 8,000 according to the FAA.

WHERE TO SIT ON A PLANE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO GET COVID-19

Starting in 2019, my fear of a plane crash started to be superseded by new fear:

The fear of arriving at my destination stuffed up, coughing, and struggling to breathe.

That’s right, the dreaded Covid-19.

At first, it was a dire situation, and I didn’t fly at all, if I could help it. Who knew what hospital resources would be like in the place I was going to, or how many people I might infect en route.

But now that I’m vaccinated, I’m more worried about my trip being ruined. Perhaps that sounds callous (I still don’t want to get anyone sick!); but now that death tolls are dropping, the cost of my vacation is more of a consideration. I’m not rich, and when I take my family out-of-town for a week, it’s because I’ve budgeted carefully. I’ve taken time off work, and spent a lot of energy packing and preparing. If me, my hubby, or a kid catches something, we’re all likely to fall ill. 

Good-bye vacation; hello barf bags.

So, where to sit on a plane if your goal is to avoid germs?

A window seat, say the experts. 

The New York Times interviewed several epidemiologists during the earlier days of the pandemic, and their consensus was that while sitting next to nobody, and everyone in a mask is ideal, sitting in the aisle seat connotes a certain disadvantage, as a steady stream of people serving drinks or searching for the bathroom squeeze past you.

But again, it’s not so simple.

IS FIRST CLASS SAFER THAN ECONOMY WHEN IT COMES TO COVID-19?

A Canadian study came up with some counterintuitive results: Covid-19 transmission levels were 4 times as high in first class as compared to economy.

They didn’t elaborate on what the reason might be, but I have some ideas.

Perhaps masks were less enforced in first-class seats, or maybe first-class seats were more booked up during Covid-19 as compared to economy, as people sought the safety of additional space.

On the other hand, an airline advisor, speaking to Bloomberg, suggested that business or first-class would likely be safer than economy – so, let’s just say the jury is still out on that data for now.