"Exit" seats on American Airlines

[Hintermann]

Following reservation of several flights on American Airlines as part of my complicated itinerary to Socorro & Bonaire next May, I decided to use the choose & pay option for seats near the exit on a couple of flights where it would be helpful to get off the plane quickly and get as far ahead as possible in the US Immigration queue. On the schematic on the AA site, I chose seats right next to the "Exit" sign and it seems like I have got what I wanted. The guy at the AA customer service also assured me that that was the correct thing to do if I wanted exit seats. But on one of the flights - SJD to DFW on a Super MD-80 - the Exit seat seems too far back - alongside Row 21. I recalled that on most flights the exit was far out to the front, not far from the cockpit. Is it different on MD-80s?

 

[reefman]

these 2 websites might provide your answer(BTW, you can search both sites for most major world airline seating charts). I never pick a seat assignment without 1st checking the aircraft on seat guru/expert,,,,,,,,


SeatGuru Seat Map American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-80 (M80)


American Airlines MD80 - SeatExpert


reefman
key largo

 

[scubadiver888]

In most cases on AA flights the cost for exit row versus bulk head area around the same. For example, on the Airbus 319 first class is row 1 and 2, there is no row 3 to 7. Behind first class is a bulk head then main cabin. So the third physical row is labelled row 8. The cost for row 8 (first row in main cabin) costs the same as row 13 (the exit row). Downside is there is no under seat storage for row 8. If you select row 9, it is less than row 8 or row 13, has under seat storage and it is close to the exit.

In general, use seat guru to find the second row in main cabin and see if you can get it for less than the first row or exit row.

 

[knotical]

There are exit seats and then there are exit seats. Typically when talking about getting seats in the exit rows, it is getting seats near the emergency exits that usually have more leg room. If this is what you've done, you might be disappointed because those are not usually the doors that open for debarkation. If however, you've gotten rows near the front, you might be better off because commonly planes are unloaded from the front main doors. BUT it's not completely unheard of for planes to unload from a rear main door. So ... more information about your planes/flights would help you in your choices. reefman has pointed you toward good sources to gather much of the info you need.

 

[KeithG]

you appear to have been confused by those cunning americans. "exit" commonly means "emergency exit". you will (hopefully) never get to use the emergency exits. sitting close to them will not help you with immigration lines.

"exit seats" means seats in an emergency exit row. these are sometimes preferred seats since they often have more leg room. the seats in the row in front of an emergency exit row do not recline.

to make things more confusing, the normal entrance / exit door is also an "emergency exit". anytime you talk to an AA customer service guy about "exit"' they will be referrring to emergency exits and exit row seats. not the normLdoor you enter and leave by.

the normal exit / entrance door way is always the door closest to the front on the left side of the plane. on larger planes (777) they often use an additional second entrance / exit door ( it is back around row 12 on the 777 i flew on 3 days ago)

 

[redacted]

It is hard to believe we both call it English!!!

Sorry

 

[KeithG]

BUT it's not completely unheard of for planes to unload from a rear main door.

agreed. if your plane is not using a jet bridge, then they will often put stairs at both the front and rear loading doors. this happens in many smaller airports in the caribbean (but the airport needs to be large enough to have a second set of stairs available...)

 

[diversteve]

DFW obviously has jetways. http://airwaysnews.com/galleries/dfw-american-airlines-ops-tower-view-4-term-c_27269.jpg

So to get off quickly you'll want to be in Row 8 or 9 if flying coach/standard. Row 7 is the first row but since it's up against the bulkhead there's no underseat storage. Also the tray table folds out from the armrest so you lose some seat width.

The exit door is to the front left of the plane immediately behind the cockpit at the front left side of first class.

As mentioned, all row 21 buys you is the extra legroom during the flight. And the task of removing the Emergency Exit door should it be necessary. They'll even ask you if you can do that before allowing you to sit there.

The only place I've ever seen AA use the back door is on Roatan. And the next time I planned for it, they didn't have a set of stairs available.

Curacao has jetways so unless you're on the small turboprop coming back from Bonaire, Insel will use it since their larger plane is also an MD-80. http://curacaochronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Insel_Air_MD80.jpg So if you're tight on time there also book towards the front.

 

[Hintermann]

Thanks guys, looks like I made a mistake. I'll call AA and explain my predicament, adding that the agent who spoke to me gave me the wrong info (which he DID). They might be willing to change my seat assignation - if not, I'll throw myself at the mercy of the cabin stewards on the flight and hope for the best.

By the way, the tight connections are in DFW (3h 10m) and MIA (2h 35min) and between American Airlines flights. Insel is not involved in that section.

 

[dmoore19]

What do you Canadians call those seats that are on the exit rows?

you appear to have been confused by those cunning americans. "exit" commonly means "emergency exit". you will (hopefully) never get to use the emergency exits. sitting close to them will not help you with immigration lines.

"exit seats" means seats in an emergency exit row. these are sometimes preferred seats since they often have more leg room. the seats in the row in front of an emergency exit row do not recline.

to make things more confusing, the normal entrance / exit door is also an "emergency exit". anytime you talk to an AA customer service guy about "exit"' they will be referrring to emergency exits and exit row seats. not the normLdoor you enter and leave by.

the normal exit / entrance door way is always the door closest to the front on the left side of the plane. on larger planes (777) they often use an additional second entrance / exit door ( it is back around row 12 on the 777 i flew on 3 days ago)