I sat in the back row of the plane and it turned out to be one of the worst flights of my life. Now, I'll always pay for a seat in advance.

Marielle DescalsotaApr 29, 2023, 19:16 IST

The author on board a flight from Vietnam to Singapore.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

Back-row seats on low-cost airlines have an especially bad reputation.
I was assigned a seat in the back of a plane and it turned out to be as bad as people say.

I've taken dozens of flights in the past year alone and most of my experiences have been great. Things were different on a recent flight when I ended up at the back of the plane.

The author has traveled on dozens of flights in the past year alone.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

I've taken dozens of flights in the past year alone and most of my experiences have been great. Things were different on a recent flight when I ended up at the back of the plane.

But on one recent flight from Vietnam to Singapore, I was assigned a seat in the back row of the plane for the first time. It turned out to be one of the worst flights of my life.

Passengers boarding a Scoot flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

But on one recent flight from Vietnam to Singapore, I was assigned a seat in the back row of the plane for the first time. It turned out to be one of the worst flights of my life.

Right off the bat, sitting in the last row of the plane was uncomfortable, thanks to the passengers who rummaged for suitcase space right above my head.

The view of the safety presentation from the rear of the plane.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

While flight routes around Southeast Asia can often be turbulent, sitting in the back row made it feel much worse.

The last row of the plane on a Scoot flight.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

The worst part of a back-row seat is sitting behind and next to a toilet — which meant people were constantly walking beside me.

The toilets at the rear of the plane.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

Unlike most seats on the plane, the back-row seats couldn't recline, so legroom was limited.

The legroom in the rear of the plane.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

My saving grace was that it was just a two-and-half-hour flight, and I was back home in no time. I learned my lesson and will now book a seat ahead of time.

A Scoot plane at Ho Chi Minh airport.Marielle Descalsota/Insider

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I sat in the back row of the plane and it turned out to be one of the worst flights of my life. Now, I'll always pay for a seat in advance.

I've taken dozens of flights in the past year alone and most of my experiences have been great. Things were different on a recent flight when I ended up at the back of the plane.

But on one recent flight from Vietnam to Singapore, I was assigned a seat in the back row of the plane for the first time. It turned out to be one of the worst flights of my life.

Right off the bat, sitting in the last row of the plane was uncomfortable, thanks to the passengers who rummaged for suitcase space right above my head.

While flight routes around Southeast Asia can often be turbulent, sitting in the back row made it feel much worse.

The worst part of a back-row seat is sitting behind and next to a toilet — which meant people were constantly walking beside me.

Unlike most seats on the plane, the back-row seats couldn't recline, so legroom was limited.

My saving grace was that it was just a two-and-half-hour flight, and I was back home in no time. I learned my lesson and will now book a seat ahead of time.