Pick your plane seat

It's time for your much-awaited trip! You board the plane, wrestle your way
down the aisle and into a seat that was blindly assigned to you -- or, heaven
forbid, that you personally selected from your airline's nondescript,
black-and-white, online diagram -- and you discover that you're in one of those
seats that can't recline. Or that's located next to the lavatory. Or, say it
isn't so, that is the middle seat in the last possible row. Yes, it's going
to be a long flight.
To avoid this scenario next time you fly, check out SeatGuru or SeatExpert. These websites have colorful, detailed seat plans for hundreds of airplanes and rates the best and worst seats onboard.
Let's say you're flying on Continental's Boeing 767-400. Look up that
specific plane and you can see, for instance, which seats are located in
nice, spacious exit rows and which ones have power ports. You can also find
out how wide seats are and how far they recline, and whether the plane
offers audio, video, food, and other in-flight services. You may not get your
seat of choice, but at least you'll know which seat to request when booking
your flight or at check-in.

Posted by Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent