As a devout window-sitter on planes, SeatGuru was a must-have for avoiding misaligned or absent windows on booked flights. But now it’s gone, because its owner, Tripadvisor, failed to keep it fresh.
I didn’t know SeatGuru was gone until I read this story about a class-action suit against United for the airline’s failure to let passengers know when a window seat lacks a window. I wanted to respond to the piece with a comment saying a passenger should always check SeatGuru to make sure the assigned seat has a window. But SeatGuru was Alderan’d:
After that, I’d rather ride a Death Star than use Tripadvisor again.
As for substitutes, here is what I find, so far:
- AeroLOPA – Ultra-detailed, to-scale cabin diagrams that show every seat, window, galley and toilet, but no way to enter your flight number and get a seat map for the flight’s plane, with details about good and bad seats.
- SeatMaps.com – A big, frequently updated seat-map library with 2D and 360° cabin views plus user reviews to help you spot the more comfortable rows. But not quite what SeatGuru gave you for finding the right seat on your flight.
- FlightSeatmap.com – Free, flight-specific seat maps with seat reviews and optional paid alerts when a better window, aisle or exit row opens up. So a pretty good substitute.
- SeatLink – Crowd-sourced seat reviews and maps that aim to recreate SeatGuru’s seat review style. Said to have variable coverage across airlines.
- AwardFares Seat Map Tool – A live seat map that shows how full your specific flight is right now, so you can see which seats (and neighbors) are free. This goes beyond what SeatGuru provided.
- ExpertFlyer – A power-user tool that layers airline inventory data on top of seat maps and can ping you when a preferred seat or cabin opens up. Requires a subscription.
As you might guess, I made that list for myself, because I need to check all of them out. Especially when I book my next few flights.
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