Your seat choice matters more than you might think!
This Is the Best Seat to Book on an Airplane to Avoid Motion Sickness, According to a Flight Attendant
Published on May 10, 2025
I’ve only thrown up on a plane once—but it was so awful, it’s basically a core memory now. I was pregnant, so I’m still not sure whether to blame hormones or turbulence. Either way, there I was, clutching the paper bag like it was a designer purse and frantically whispering Hail Marys (which was extra awkward because I’m not Catholic). It’s never happened again, thank goodness, but I do still get pretty queasy on planes so I like to be prepared, just in case. And if you’ve ever spent a flight white-knuckling the armrest, sweating and praying you don’t revisit that questionable airport burrito, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
“Thankfully, I don’t get motion sickness—if I did, I’d be in the wrong profession,” says Sydney Anistine, a 20-year veteran flight attendant who’s worked for all four major U.S. airlines. “But I’ve seen more than my fair share of passengers getting sick. And as flight attendants, we’ve learned some tricks to help.”
Anistine says there are some solid ways to mitigate in-air motion sickness, starting with your seat assignment. Read on to find out where you should sit to minimize the misery. Spoiler: It’s not next to the bathroom!
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What causes motion sickness?
Most people think motion sickness is caused by turbulence alone. Logical, yes. Accurate, not entirely. Why do people get motion sick on a plane?
Here’s the science-y explanation, according to a study published in Springer: Motion sickness happens when there’s a mismatch between what your eyes see and what your inner ear—the main part that controls your balance—feels. On a plane, your body senses movement, but your eyes are focused on something stationary, like a screen or your book about how to overcome your fear of flying. This sensory mismatch confuses your brain, leading to nausea, sweating, dizziness, going pale, increased saliva, drowsiness, headache and, sometimes, vomiting.
There are other factors that influence how susceptible a person is to getting motion sickness. Things like not getting enough sleep, being dehydrated, anxiety and age also influence how sick you get when your plane hits turbulence. And it might just be how you’re hardwired. According to a study published in Human Molecular Genetics, some people are genetically predisposed to motion sickness. So if your mom hurled on every family road trip, congratulations—you inherited more than her cheekbones.
What’s the best seat on a plane to avoid motion sickness?
“The smoothest ride is in a window seat over the wings, so sit there if you want to avoid getting motion sick,” Anistine says.
Why?
- Center of gravity: Airplanes pivot around their center of gravity, which is typically near the wings. Sitting there means you’ll feel less of the plane’s up-and-down drama.
- Stability over the wings: The wings actually help stabilize the aircraft. Sitting there, you’ll still feel the bumps, but at least it won’t feel like you’re on a mechanical bull in the sky.
- Visual reference point: The window gives your brain a horizon line to focus on, helping sync what your eyes and ears are telling your brain.
Ironically, this means that many passengers in the economy seats end up with a more comfortable ride than those in first class … at least when it comes to motion sickness!
What’s the worst seat on a plane for motion sickness?
“The back half of the plane will always be bumpier than the front half—the last few rows especially,” Anisitine says, speaking from her decades of experience flying and seeing where passengers get sick the most often. This can be especially tough, as many people think sitting next to the bathroom in the back will be the most convenient spot if they get sick, not realizing that they’re making their issue worse.
The back row is basically the roller coaster section of the plane. Planes tend to sway more in the tail, amplifying every little bump.
Aisle seats can be tough as well, she says, because you lose that visual reference point out the window, leaving your poor brain to fend for itself. And while we’re at it, avoid sitting directly over the engines. Vibrations can exacerbate queasiness—unless you like feeling like you’re at a rave.
What are other ways to minimize motion sickness?
Even with the perfect seat, you might still need some anti-nausea backup strategies. Below, you’ll find Anistine’s best flight attendant-approved tips, along with a few of my own tried-and-true methods too:
Pay to pick your seat
Book early and splurge a little to lock in that window seat over the wings. Trust me, it’s cheaper than dry-cleaning your clothes post-flight.
Eat lightly before flying
A greasy double cheeseburger before takeoff? Bad idea. Stick to small, bland snacks. Think pretzels, crackers or the world’s driest turkey sandwich.
Practice deep breathing exercises
Motion sickness can be induced or worsened by panicking—and feeling like you’re going to puke can make you panic, creating a vicious anxiety cycle. Master “box breathing” or meditation before your flight so you can stay zen at 35,000 feet.
Stay hydrated (but skip the booze)
Water is great and you should drink plenty of it while flying. Gin and tonic? Disaster waiting to happen. Alcohol dehydrates you and messes with your inner ear’s already fragile feelings.
Use acupressure bands
Those weird little wristbands? They actually work for a lot of people by pressing on the P6 acupressure point. Bonus: They double as a conversation starter.
Focus on the horizon
If turbulence kicks in, find the horizon line out the window to help recalibrate your senses. Or just stare at the flight attendant—they’re usually calm regardless of what’s happening.
Chew on ginger or peppermint
Chewing ginger candies or sucking on peppermint lozenges can help settle your stomach. And at the very least, you’ll have minty-fresh breath while panicking. Ginger ale may also help in a pinch.
Medicate wisely
Over-the-counter meds like Dramamine can be effective, but check with your doctor before popping them while flying—especially if you’re also sipping that gin and tonic (again: bad idea). There are also some prescription medications to manage nausea or the underlying anxiety.
What should you do if you start feeling sick mid-flight?
Unfortunately, motion sickness isn’t totally preventable. So if it happens, you’ll need to pivot from defense to damage control.
Open the air vent
Aim it at your face. That cool air can help stop the spiral of nausea (and distract you from counting down the minutes to landing).
Lean back and close your eyes
If you can’t see out a window, try to minimize head movement. If you can recline a little and shut your eyes, it helps reduce the visual-vestibular mismatch that’s causing the nausea.
Tell a flight attendant
Feeling violently ill is a good reason to call a flight attendant. And no worries, they’ve seen it all and have supplies like ginger ale, extra bags (just in case) and cool compresses. Plus, they can discreetly help if things get serious.
Avoid screens and books
Once the nausea starts, looking at close-up objects like phones, books or seat-back TVs can make it much worse. Eyes on the horizon or closed are your safest bets.
RELATED:
- The Surprising Reason You Should Never Rest Your Head Against an Airplane Window
- What You Need to Know About “Gate Lice” at the Airport
- Here’s Why Flight Attendants Always Sit on Their Hands During Takeoff and Landing
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Sources:
- Sydney Anistine, flight attendant who has worked for all four major U.S. airlines; phone interview, May 6, 2025
- Springer: “Motion sickness: more than nausea and vomiting”
- Neurology: “Both migraine and motion sickness may be due to low brain levels of serotonin”
- Human Molecular Genetics: “Genetic variants associated with motion sickness point to roles for inner ear development, neurological processes and glucose homeostasis”
