Ryanair flight attendant says passengers should ‘avoid’ these two plane seats

Former Ryanair cabin crew member Eleanor has shared which seats to avoid when booking with the budget airline, while also revealing the best row to be in, especially if you want a quieter tirp

A former Ryanair cabin crew member has issued a warning to travellers about two seats they should swerve when making their bookings. Eleanor, who was stationed in Marseille, France, clocked up significant flight hours with the no-frills carrier and has pinpointed the seats that could seriously dampen your journey.

The 25-year-old content creator revealed to the Manchester Evening News: “I can only say to avoid 11A. That’s supposed to be a window seat – but it doesn’t have a window! You won’t be able to see outside.”

Eleanor isn’t the first member of cabin crew to sound the alarm about the infamous 11A seat, previously dubbed “Europe’s most hated”. It’s widely recognised as the sole ‘A’ seat on a Boeing 737 that’s missing an actual window.

But Eleanor didn’t stop there. Having previously documented the highs and lows of working for Ryanair on her YouTube channel, she went on to share additional guidance on seating choices.

Following her 11A caution, she added: “Also avoid row 32 on the 737 MAX, an aircraft that Ryanair has only in some bases. That has emergency exits at the wings, and a crew seat near them that faces the passengers.

“So, if you sit in that row, you’ll have the flight attendant stare at you during take off and landing, and you’ll have to move every time they have to pass. It was very uncomfortable as a flight attendant, I imagine it is as a passenger also.”

However, she stressed that on the whole, seat selection on Ryanair isn’t terribly crucial. This is largely down to the fact that flights tend to be relatively brief and there’s no complimentary meal service on offer, meaning your seating position won’t guarantee you’ll receive your food first, as it might with other carriers.

Eleanor suggested it ultimately boils down to individual preference, noting: “Another thing I can say is to avoid sitting at the rear of the aircraft, most because sometimes, although not often with Ryanair, only in some airports, you will have a bridge from the front and you’ll be the last one to disembark if you’re sitting at the back.

“And also because in case of ditching (controlled emergency landing onto water), that’s the first part that goes in the water, and you won’t be able to open the doors at the back, so you’re less likely to make it in case of a landing in water.”

For those keen to be more selective during booking, Eleanor, an Italian now based in New Zealand, reckons certain seats provide optimal comfort and are even guaranteed to be child-free zones.

She disclosed: “I would say usually it’s better to sit at the emergency exits in the middle of the aircraft, usually around row 17 for safety reasons. You have more space and also because children under 16 can’t sit at the emergency exits and infants under two can’t even be in the two rows before and ahead of the emergency exits.

“So these and row 1 are basically the only seats where you can be sure you won’t be spending your flight with crying babies next to you.”