After more than two decades, SeatGuru, the popular airplane seat map platform, has finally ceased operations. We’ll tell you here what’s behind the sudden end and how you can still get the perfect seat in the future.
Anyone who flies a lot knows that a good seat can often make or break a long-haul flight. The end of SeatGuru – one of the oldest and best-known platforms that made exactly this easier – is all the more surprising.
SeatGuru was launched in 2001 and has long been the first port of call for air travelers looking to optimize their seating. With color-coded seating maps – green for good, yellow for mediocre and red for poor – the platform offered an easy way to maximize comfort during the flight.
SeatGuru was acquired by TripAdvisor in 2007, but over the years the platform became increasingly outdated. The apps that were once available were removed from the app stores in 2020. And it has been exactly that long since any new seating plans were published on the website. A few days ago, TripAdvisor suddenly – quietly and secretly – finally pulled the plug on the practical online helper and is now redirecting all users to its own website, without offering an equivalent alternative.
Even though SeatGuru is no longer available, there are some platforms that offer similar or even better features. We can recommend these alternatives.
1. AeroLOPA:
AeroLOPA is a comparatively young platform that specializes in detailed seating plans for various aircraft models. Compared to SeatGuru, it provides more precise information about the locations of windows, emergency exits and other important details. For example, you can see exactly how far a door extends into the cabin or which seats have limited legroom.
However, AeroLOPA is far from being a 1:1 alternative to SeatGuru. For example, you cannot tell at a glance whether a seat is “good” or “bad” because the backrest cannot be adjusted, for example. In addition, there are no reviews from other users about individual seats or the availability of TV and power connections.
2. SeatMaps
Our second alternative, SeatMaps, is more closely based on the SeatGuru concept. The seating plans are color-coded so that you can see at a glance which seats are recommended. By clicking on a seat you will receive additional useful information, for example “restricted backrest” or “extra legroom”.
For frequent flyers, the loss remains noticeable: no platform offered such a great community experience as SeatGuru. Nevertheless, most of the functions can be mapped with AeroLOPA and SeatMaps – you just have to know where to look.
Our tip: Combine the services. AeroLOPA provides the precise technical information, SeatMaps the experiences of other travelers. This means you can still find the best seat on the plane even without SeatGuru.