Finding Your Sweet Spot on the Plane

Planes can differ -- and so can times of year. During especially busy periods, like Christmas and Thanksgiving, opting for the front of the plane can be more trouble than it's worth. Now that more and more people are wheeling their luggage on to planes, the overhead bins can fill up quickly. And if there's no room for your things, for safety reasons you'll have to check that luggage.

"If you have to check your luggage under the plane, you're going to wait 20 to 30 minutes to get it," said Tom Parsons, CEO of BestFares.com. "By sitting in the back, you'll have the whole plane for your stuff. If you're concerned about this, be one of the first to board. In winter, this is even more important because everyone has overcoats."

Tip 3: Avoid the Stay-Awake Zones.

Sleeping on a plane can be an impossible task, but you'll have a better shot of catching Zs by avoiding certain areas of the plane, namely near the galley areas where flight attendants are working, the bathrooms and on some planes, the last few rows.

"The lights tend to stay on in the galleys and the flight attendants may be talking," Daimler said. "And on some older planes with the old projection-style movies on the drop screen, a number of people have complained on our site because they didn't realize how bright the screen was and didn't bring their blackout sleeping visors."

While most jets don't have a problem with engine noise, since the engines are out on the wing, regional jets, which have engines in the back of the plane, often have a noise problem. On the smaller Boeing 717, a mainstay of the AirTran fleet, the last few rows of the cabin can be the noisiest, which means you'll either want earplugs or a seat closer to the cockpit.

"As a general rule, the front of the plane tends to be the quietest," Daimler said.