You may want to avoid these: The worst seats on the plane

Be careful with these 'window seats'

While seat 11A on Ryanair is offered as a window seat, we'd definitely advise against it. That's because there's no actual window, and this information is only briefly displayed as a pop-up in the booking window when making a paid seat reservation. So, if you want a window to look out of during the flight, you should make sure to avoid this seat on any Ryanair flight.

This problem comes up on other airlines too. For example, on Norwegian Air Shuttle's Boeing 737-800, you'll find windowless window seats in seats 10A, 11A, and 11F.

If you're travelling with American Airlines on the Boeing 737-800 and want a window seat, you should avoid the supposed window seats 10A, 12A, and 12F (depending on the layout) to avoid disappointment. On the Boeing 737 MAX 8, 12A and 12F are the ones to avoid.

We also find this problem with easyJet. If you're flying on their Airbus A320, seat 31A is the one to avoid; 31F might also not have a window, depending on the layout.

Unfortunately, you can also encounter this problem on long-haul flights. On the British Airways A380 in Economy Class, seats 70A and 70K , as well as seats 80A and 80K, feature a window - but it's misaligned. You'll also find this strange phenomenon in Club World, British Airways' Business Class, in seats 12A, 12K, 50A and 50K.

Awkward seat placement

If you're flying on a ATR42, you'll have a funny and awkward experience if you're seated across from the passengers in seats 1C and 1D. If you want to avoid awkward staring or feeling like you're on a train instead of a plane, pay attention to the seat configuration on the ATR42 if your airline operates flights with this plane model.

Odour and noise traps

For rather obvious reasons, the seats near the lavatories are unpopular with passengers, as this can lead to you being trapped by unpleasant odours, especially on long-haul flights. You'll also have other passengers queuing up right next to your seat as they wait to use the toilets. Sitting near the galley also has some negatives. This is where food will be prepared, so you may experience noise as well as unpleasant smells throughout the flight, even during rest periods. It's also worth noting that there's usually a bit more space near the galley and lavatories, so there's likely to be other passengers walking and stretching in these spots.

Most long-haul flights offer bassinets for passengers travelling with babies. These special seats are usually located near the emergency exit rows. If you don't cope well with noise, then we'd recommend sitting elsewhere on the plane. However, passengers with babies are allowed to sit anywhere on the plane, so there are no guarantees against this kind of noise.

Limited seat adjustment options

Although each plane model has its own layout, in general, your seat adjustment options are limited if you are sitting near the emergency exits or in the last row of the plane.

If you like to sleep on airplanes and lean against the window to do so, we'd advise against sitting in the last rows of the Boeing 777. The narrower the rear of the plane, the larger the space between the window and the seat; you'll have some difficulty reaching the window in order to lean against it! However, since the narrow structure means that rows are configured in seats of two, this might be ideal if you're travelling with your partner.

The rear of the aircraft

The further back you sit within the plane, the more turbulence you're likely to feel. You'll also, generally, be the last passengers to exit the plane at the end of your flight. The exception to this is budget airlines, which sometimes allow you to disembark from the front and the back of the plane.

For those who want to avoid frostbite

While the emergency exit rows certainly have their perks, like the extra legroom, this part of the plane is also thought to be the coldest. You may want to avoid these seats if you want a flight featuring more comfortable temperatures.

In summary, these are the seats you'll want to avoid:

• Ryanair: 11A

• Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800: 10A, 11A and 11F

• American Airlines Boeing 737-800 (depending on layout): 10A, 12A and 12F

• American Airlines Boeing MAX 800: 12A and 12F

• easyJet Airbus A320 (depending on layout): 31A and 31F

• British Airways Airbus A380: 12A, 12K, 50A, 50K, 70A, 70K and (80A and 80K)

• Aircraft type ATR42: 1C, 1D, 2C and 2D

• Boeing 777: last rows

• Seats near the toilets

• Seats near the galley

• Seats near the bassinets

• Emergency exit rows

• Last row of the aircraft, as well as last row before the toilets and the galley

• Rear part of the aircraft

So, if you want to be on the safe side when choosing your seat in the future, avoid the seats and areas we've listed above. You can also check out websites like SeatGuru and aeroLopa, which can show you seat layouts for most plane models. If you think we've missed a bad seat, please feel free to share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.