Letters run left to right
Picture yourself in your seat, facing the front of the plane. The letters start at the left window and run across the row to the right window, so A is the window on your left and the last letter in the row is the window on your right.
It's easy to get turned around while boarding. Walk in through the front door and head toward the back, and the A seats are on your right. Board through the rear door instead, and they're on your left.
The right window depends on the plane
The last letter depends on how many seats fit across the cabin. A wider plane has more seats in a row, so the letters run further down the alphabet before they reach the right window.
| Layout | Typical planes | Example lettering | Right window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2 | Embraer E175, CRJ | A B, C D or A C, D F | D or F |
| 2-3 | Airbus A220 | A C, D E F (Delta) | F |
| 3-3 | Airbus A320, Boeing 737 | A B C, D E F | F |
| 3-3-3 | Boeing 787 | A B C, D F G, H J K (ANA) | K |
| 3-4-3 | Boeing 777, Airbus A380 main deck | A B C, D E F G, H J K | K |
And on the airline
The same layout doesn't always get the same letters. Small regional jets with two seats on each side of the aisle are a good example. Some airlines simply go A B, C D, which puts the right window at D. Others use A C, D F instead, which matches a single-aisle row of six: A and F at the windows, C and D on the aisle. On those planes the right window is F.
Why letters go missing
Most airlines skip I, because it looks too much like a 1.
Rows with fewer seats across, often in business and first class, skip letters too. A first-class row can be lettered A, D G, K, with nothing in between. The windows still end up as A and K, the same as in the economy cabin behind it.
Check the seat map
Because letters vary by airline and aircraft, the seat map for your flight is the final word. It shows which seats sit at a window and which are in the middle or on the aisle.
Once you know the side you want, the window is A on the left or the last letter on the right. To find out which side gets the sun on your flight, check your flight on FlightSide.