Sure, there are plenty of blogs, vlogs and Tik-Toks that give reviews of what it’s like to sit in the front of the plane. While we don’t have any status to get an upgrade, I’ll occasionally splurge to sit in Delta’s Comfort+ seats. And while I think it’s occasionally worth it to get the extra room, this was not one of those trips.
Back in March, Sharon saw that Queen + Adam Lambert would be going on tour in the fall and asked if I wanted to go. I did but my PTO was already committed so we’d have to make the trip work on one of my weekends off. The only time that worked was the weekend that Queen was performing in St. Paul, MN.
One advantage of having a stash of airline and hotel points is that no location is out of reach. I told her to purchase tickets when they went on sale and I’d work out the travel arrangements.
Since Minneapolis is a Delta hub, it was easy to book a non-stop flight from Orlando to MSP. At the time, there was an AMEX Offer for $75 off a Delta flight so I booked our tickets separately so we’d each get the credit. Our round-trip tickets each cost $437.80 minus the $75 credit. $362 all in for a round trip was a better value than what I could get using Delta SkyMiles.
Even though I booked several months in advance, the only seats available without paying extra were the middle seats towards the front of the cabin. Aisle or window seats were considered Preferred Seats and Delta was charging $20 to $30 for them for the 3-hour flight each way. Comfort+ seats cost even more.
I thought that some additional seats would become available, which would allow us to select seats together. I was hoping we’d be able to secure an aisle and a middle seat closer to the departure date. However, until just before the flight, I was uncertain if this would be possible. When I checked a week before the flight, there were only a few seats remaining, which were scattered throughout the plane, and most of them were still middle seats. The only seats that weren’t assigned were several rows at the back of the plane. While they weren’t occupied, I received a message stating they might be available before the flight, when I attempted to select them. Based on my assessment, it appeared these seats were being held for passengers who had purchased Basic Economy tickets.
Things changed 48 hours before our outbound flight when these seats at the back of the plane became available. I was able to select seats 34B & C. The same thing happened for our return flight, 48 hours before departure, and I was able to grab the aisle seats in row 36, which were located two rows from the back of the plane.
What is it like flying in the back of the plane?
If you’ve never been this far back on a plane before, the seats back there are the same as the ones in the front of the economy cabin. There’s the same IFE system, seats, power outlets and everything. We received the same service with drinks and a choice of Biscoff cookies or SunChips. There’s even the same amount of legroom (which isn’t much).
One thing I noticed right away was that there aren’t many people sitting back in the plane that board with the Main Cabin 1 group (Which I have as a benefit of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business co-brand AMEX.) Once I got past the exit rows around row 26, I was the only one back there, besides the flight attendant.
I had plenty of time to get situated, put my bag in the empty overhead bin, take out my headphones and wait. It was a while before people started to work their way to the back, with groups Main 2 and Main 3.
As I sat in the back of the plane on my way home to Central FL, I noticed something. Most of the groups (and almost all passengers were traveling in groups) were families with young children, probably because we were headed to Orlando. Despite my initial apprehension about being stuck in a section filled with kids for a three-hour flight, I was pleasantly surprised by how well-behaved they were. The children sat calmly, snacking, playing on their tablets, or watching the in-flight entertainment system.
Unlike sitting toward the front of the plane, the person sitting in front of me didn’t immediately recline the seat after takeoff because they were occupied looking after their kids.
The final thing I noticed when sitting in the back of the plane was that the people didn’t immediately jump to their feet and grab the bags from overhead bins the moment we got to the gate. There’s no illusion that you’re getting off the plane anytime soon, so no need to rush. We all stayed in our seats and slowly gathered our things. Whether it was putting away my headphones, pillow and water bottle into my Bento Bag (here’s my review and why I love this bag for trips like this) or packing a backpack, it was a nice change from the usual rush.
Final Thought
When I selected seats at the back of the plane for a three-hour flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul, I was a bit apprehensive. However, I decided to take a chance and chose an aisle seat in the back of the cabin instead of a middle seat towards the front. I’m pleased to report that my experience was perfectly fine and even better than some of my previous flights.
I’m not going to go out of my way to select a seat in row 36, but if that’s all I can get, it’s better than paying $30 for the same seat that’s closer to the front of the plane. I just need to be sure that I’m not going to be in a rush when we arrive at our destination as it did take a while to get off the plane.
And with the money I’m saving, I can splurge on the occasional Comfort+ seat and get some extra legroom for my money.
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