What Are the Quietest Seats on a Plane?

Between the hum of the engines, the clanking of the beverage cart, and the sound of a wailing baby a few rows back, airplanes are very noisy environments. Some passengers may bring earbuds or noise-canceling headphones to mitigate the sound, while others just grin and bear it. But you can also limit the amount of noise on a flight by selecting a seat in one of the quieter parts of the cabin. It’s true — noise levels usually vary ever so slightly depending on seat location, so knowing where to sit may allow you to rest more comfortably in flight without stuffing earbuds into your ears. Here’s how to find the quietest seat on an airplane.

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Sit Ahead of the Engines

It may seem obvious, but it bears repeating here: The further away you are from the engines, the quieter your journey will be. This isn’t to say that you can escape the hum entirely, as you’ll hear the engines no matter where you sit. But in general, it’s best to sit toward the front of the aircraft given that most engines are situated closer to the middle or tail. 

Sitting directly behind the wings or toward the rear of the cabin is louder by comparison, in part because the engine exhaust pushes noise toward the back of the plane. Seats directly next to the engine may also be subject to additional vibration, which can create unwanted noise.

Avoid the Bathroom and Galley

With a near-constant flow of both passengers and crew members, the lavatories and galleys are two of the loudest areas of an airplane cabin. Bathrooms and galleys can be located in the front, middle, or back of the aircraft. It’s best to do some research and check airline seat maps or helpful websites such as AeroLOPA before booking your ticket, so you know exactly which seats to avoid.

Passengers sitting by the bathroom have to contend with the noise of toilets flushing and the door opening and closing, which can be especially bothersome on longer flights where there’s usually a line of passengers waiting to use the lavatory. You may also be bothered by people standing by your seat waiting to get into the bathroom, which can disrupt your flight further.

The galleys are where the crew prepares in-flight meals and stocks the beverage cart throughout the flight. While flight attendants are trained to ensure the comfort of passengers to the best of their ability, some noise is unavoidable when it comes to food prep. This is why you should steer clear of sitting near the galley if you want quiet, especially on overnight journeys when you’re trying to sleep.

Seek Out Child-Free Zones

While traveling with young ones is no doubt stressful, no one likes to sit next to a screaming baby, either. Select airlines offer “child-free” zones that are only for adult passengers. On low-cost Singaporean airline Scoot, for example, anyone 12 or older can take advantage of the Scoot-in-Silence section of the cabin. Air Asia X is another airline that has offered similar adult-only seating sections since 2013. 

In 2019, Japan Airlines introduced a new feature that displays a child icon on a flight’s seat map for anyone traveling with children up to 2 years old, which lets other passengers know a child may be sitting there. In general, you may find families seated in the bulkhead rows (first rows), as many airplane cabins are fitted with bassinet hooks at these locations. Some airlines display these icons on their seat maps as well. 

In 2023, the Dutch airline Corendon began testing child-free zones on long-haul flights from Amsterdam to Curaçao, in which the front portion of the cabin was reserved for people aged 16 or over. While child-free sections are still relatively rare, keep an eye out for more airlines to introduce them in the future.

The Verdict

At the end of the day, no airplane seat is 100% quiet, as you’ll always be at risk of encountering noise from a fellow traveler. But in general, sticking to the front portion of the cabin — but away from galleys and lavatories — is more likely to provide peace and quiet than the rear. Remember, it always helps to do a little research on the layout of the cabin before you book, so that you’re not unexpectedly stuck dealing with a noisy flight.