You have booked a Ryanair flight and the interface offers you the option to choose your seat for a few euros. The temptation to skip this step is strong, but the seating arrangement in the cabin truly changes the flying experience. On a Boeing 737, the configuration is identical from one aircraft to another, allowing you to anticipate precisely the areas to prioritize based on your needs.
Boeing 737 or 737 MAX 8: the cabin layout is not the same
Most guides on choosing a Ryanair seat talk about a single cabin layout. The reality is more nuanced. The fleet includes Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 MAX 8, and the recommended seats differ depending on the model.
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On the 737 MAX 8, the spacing between certain rows has been modified compared to the classic 737-800. Before selecting a seat, check the type of aircraft assigned to your flight directly on the booking page or on specialized sites like SeatMaps. A comfortable seat on a 737-800 may turn out to be tighter on a MAX 8, and vice versa.
To understand where the best seats are on a Ryanair plane, you first need to identify the aircraft operating your route.
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Free or paid Ryanair seat: what automatic assignment implies
If you do not pay an extra fee, Ryanair automatically assigns your seat. You only discover your location at check-in, a few days before departure. This system is not random: it responds to operational constraints of weight distribution and cabin filling.
In practice, free seats are often found in the back rows, between row 25 and the last. This area is the loudest (proximity to engines and toilets) and the last served by the food cart.
- Rows 1 to 5 are reserved for passengers who have opted for the “priority and two cabin bags” option or a front seat extra fee.
- The rows at the emergency exits (around rows 16 and 17) offer more legroom but impose conditions: being an adult, physically fit, and agreeing to assist in case of evacuation.
- The middle seat (B and E) remains the last assigned and the least requested, regardless of the row in the cabin.
Paying a few euros for a seat at the front or near the emergency exits is not a marketing luxury. It is a concrete trade-off between the price of the extra fee and the quality of the flight, especially beyond two hours.
Window, aisle, or middle: choose based on flight duration
Traveling for less than an hour and a half? Choosing a window or aisle seat mainly comes down to personal preference. Beyond this duration, the position in the row has a real impact.
The window protects from aisle traffic and allows you to lean against the wall to sleep. No one will ask you to get up. In exchange, accessing the restroom requires disturbing one or two neighbors.
The aisle makes movement easier and provides a bit more elbow room on the aisle side. The service cart passes just a few centimeters from your shoulder, and your row neighbors will ask you to get up to exit.
The middle seat offers no objective advantage. If you are traveling alone and have the choice, avoid it systematically. For a couple, booking the window and aisle seats in the same row often leaves the middle seat empty, as it is the last one selected by other passengers.
Traveling with family on Ryanair: the seat grouping policy
Ryanair has a family seating policy that deserves to be read in detail before booking. The free grouping of children with an accompanying adult is not guaranteed for the entire family. The airline commits to placing one child next to an accompanying adult but does not guarantee that the whole family group will be seated in the same row.
If you are traveling in a group of three or four, the only reliable way to sit together is to book your seats by paying the extra fee. Automatic assignment may separate adults while placing each child next to one of them, which complies with the rule without meeting your expectation.
This point regularly causes frustration at boarding. It is better to know this beforehand rather than relying on the goodwill of other passengers to swap seats.
Before boarding: a comfort factor often overlooked
The comfort of a Ryanair flight is not only determined on board. The airline itself points out that longer queues can form at passport control, especially for destinations outside the Schengen area with the implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES).
Arriving early at the airport reduces stress just as a good seat reduces physical discomfort. Passengers with the priority option board first, which also ensures space in the overhead compartments above their seats. Without this option, the last to board may sometimes have to store their cabin baggage several rows away.
A seat at the front loses some of its appeal if your suitcase is stored at the back of the aircraft. Combining a front seat and priority boarding remains the most coherent formula for a quick and hassle-free disembarkation.
Choosing a seat on Ryanair relies on three concrete parameters: the aircraft model, the flight duration, and the group composition. On a short solo flight, automatic assignment remains acceptable. For a journey of more than two hours, with family or a need for space, the seat extra fee truly transforms the experience without significantly burdening the budget.