Seats

Which seat to choose

Where to sit on the planes Iranians fly: the quiet end of a Fokker 100, the window pairs on a Mahan A300, the exit rows on an A320. Zones, not seat numbers, because every airline numbers its rows differently.

Checked 3 November 2026Partly official

What we could not confirm

Exact exit-row numbers per airline; the seat map at purchase is the reference.
Which Iranian carriers still fly the MD-80 after the 2026 grounding orders.
Seat-selection fees per seller change often.

How to choose

Window or aisle?
Window if you want to sleep or look out: a wall to lean on and nobody climbing over you. Aisle if you move a lot, have long legs or want to leave quickly.
Middle seats are last to go for a reason. On a 2-4-2 or 2-3 cabin, the pairs by the windows are the best spots for couples.
Front of the cabin
The front rows get served first, board last and leave first. On planes with engines at the tail (MD-80, Fokker 100), the front is also the quiet end.
Row 1 (the bulkhead) has more legroom but no seat in front to stow a bag under; it is also where bassinets go on bigger planes.
Over the wing
The rows over the wing move least in turbulence: the plane pivots around its centre. Good for nervous flyers and for anyone who gets airsick.
The view is partly blocked by the wing, and on A320s and 737s one row near the front of the wing has a window out of line or missing.
Exit rows
The most legroom in economy. You must be an able adult, speak the crew's language well enough to follow instructions, and you cannot sit there with a child or an infant.
The seats in front of an exit row often do not recline, and the armrests are fixed, so the seat feels a little narrower. Many airlines sell these seats for a fee.
The back
The last rows are near the toilets and the galley: people queue next to you, the light stays on and the seat often does not recline. They are also the bumpiest rows.
The upside: the back is usually the emptiest part of a half-full plane, so you have the best chance of a free seat next to you.
With children
Book seats together at purchase; Iranian sellers let you pick seats for most system fares, charter fares often not. If you could not, ask at check-in early: airlines seat families together when they can.
A window for the child, you on the aisle. Avoid exit rows (not allowed) and the last rows (toilet traffic). An infant on your lap gets no seat; ask for a bulkhead bassinet on long flights.

Choosing a seat at the seller

Alibaba, Flytoday and Snapptrip show a seat map at purchase for airlines that open it to agencies; some charge for the front rows. Iranian airlines open online check-in and seat choice 24 to 48 hours before departure on their own sites.

Foreign airlines: Turkish Airlines and Pegasus let you pick a seat at booking (Pegasus for a fee); Qatar Airways opens free seat selection at check-in, 24 hours before.

Plane by plane

Airbus A320 and A321

Layout 3-3Flown by:Iran Air Qeshm Air ATA Airlines Zagros Pegasus Turkish Airlines Mahan Air

The workhorse of Iran Air, Qeshm Air, ATA and Zagros at home and of Pegasus and Turkish Airlines to Istanbul. The A321 is the stretched version with the same seat widths.

Pick

Exit rows over the wing for legroom, usually two rows around the middle.
Rows 2 to 6 if you want off first on a short hop.
A seat over the wing for the smoothest ride.

Avoid

The last row: no recline, next to the toilets.
The row just before each exit row: it does not recline.
The window seat at the front edge of the wing on the A320: often no window.

Boeing 737 (700, 800, MAX)

Layout 3-3Flown by:Iran Aseman Qeshm Air Taban Air Turkish Airlines Pegasus flydubai

Flown by Iran Aseman, Qeshm Air and Taban at home and by Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and flydubai on the way out. Cabin width is the same as the A320; the windows sit slightly lower.

Pick

The two exit rows over the wing.
Front rows for a quick exit; the 737 has one door at the front on most airports.
Over the wing for the calmest ride.

Avoid

The last two rows: narrower, next to toilets, little recline.
The row before the exit rows.
Middle seats near the back on full flights.

Airbus A300 and A310

Layout 2-4-2Flown by:Mahan Air Iran Air

Mahan's wide-body on Tehran to Mashhad, Kish and Istanbul; Iran Air also flies A300s. Wide cabin, more overhead space, aircraft typically 25 to 35 years old.

Pick

The window pairs (A-B and the pair on the other side) for couples: nobody climbs over you.
Front cabin rows for a quieter, quicker exit.
Aisle seats of the middle block if you travel alone and want to move.

Avoid

The two inner seats of the middle block of four.
The last rows by the rear galley and toilets.
Old cabins: do not count on a working reading light or recline on every seat.

Airbus A340

Layout 2-4-2Flown by:Mahan Air

Mahan's long-haul plane to Beijing, Guangzhou, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Four engines, quiet cabin, slow climb; some seats have personal screens, many do not.

Pick

Window pairs anywhere; the rows near the tail taper to 2-3-2, so the pairs there have extra space by the wall.
Over the wing on long flights for the calmest sleep.
Bulkhead rows if you need a bassinet.

Avoid

The inner two of the middle four on a night flight.
Rows right by the galleys: light and noise all night.
The very last row: toilets on both sides.

Fokker 100

Layout 2-3Flown by:Iran Air Kish Air Qeshm Air Zagros

A 100-seat jet still common on domestic routes with Iran Air, Kish Air and Qeshm Air. Boarding is often by bus and stairs.

Pick

The pair side (two seats) if there are two of you or you want no middle seat.
The front third of the cabin: the engines are at the tail, so the front is noticeably quieter.
Exit row over the wing for legroom.

Avoid

The last four rows: engine noise and vibration.
The middle seat on the three-seat side.
Hard luggage in the small overhead bins; large cabin bags go in the hold.

MD-82 and MD-83

Layout 2-3Flown by:Iran Airtour Caspian Airlines Zagros Taban Air

The old backbone of Iran Airtour, Caspian, Zagros and Taban. Narrow cabin, rear engines, very loud at the back. Grounding orders came and went during 2026; the seller shows the type at purchase.

Pick

As far forward as you can: both engines are at the tail.
The two-seat side by the windows.
Exit rows over the wing.

Avoid

The back third: loud, vibrating and last off.
The middle seat of the three-seat side.
Counting on the plane at all: parts of the Iranian MD-80 fleet were grounded in 2026, so check the aircraft type on the day.

ATR 72

Layout 2-2Flown by:Iran Air

Iran Air's turboprop for short and thin routes (Tehran to Rasht, Ilam, Sanandaj and the like). Short flights, low altitude, more weather bumps than a jet.

Pick

Rows behind the propellers, toward the back: quieter than the rows level with the props, and you board and leave through the rear door first.
Any seat: it is 2-2, so no middle seats.
A window away from the propeller line for the view.

Avoid

The rows level with the propellers: the loudest seats on the plane.
Row 1: on most ATRs the cargo is at the front and row 1 faces a wall.
Heavy cabin bags: tiny bins.

BAe 146 and Avro RJ

Layout 3-3Flown by:Mahan Air Qeshm Air

Mahan and Qeshm Air use these four-engined short-haul jets on secondary routes. High wing, steep approaches, short runways.

Pick

Front rows: quiet and off first.
A window seat: the wing is above the cabin, so the view is clear from every row.
Exit rows for legroom.

Avoid

The last rows under the engines' exhaust line: more noise.
Middle seats; it is a small cabin.
Big cabin bags: small bins and a low ceiling.

Boeing 777, 787 and Airbus A330, A350 (foreign airlines)

Layout 3-3-3 / 3-4-3 / 2-4-2Flown by:Qatar Airways Turkish Airlines Emirates Oman Air

What Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Oman Air fly beyond their hubs. Seat selection is often paid at booking and free at online check-in 24 hours before.

Pick

A330: the window pairs (2-4-2) are the best economy seats on any long flight.
787 and A350: window seats, 3-3-3, bigger windows, quieter cabin.
Bulkhead rows for a bassinet; exit rows if you are tall and willing to pay.

Avoid

777 with 3-4-3: the narrowest economy seats you will meet; pick the 2-4-2 rows near the tail or an aisle.
Seats right by the galleys and toilets on an overnight flight.
The middle of a middle block of four.

How to choose

Window or aisle?

Front of the cabin

Over the wing

Exit rows

The back

With children

Choosing a seat at the seller

Plane by plane

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