Methodology and sources

This page explains what Pick Your Row publishes, how editorial scores work, which public authorities we cite, and what we deliberately do not scrape. It is meant to be linkable and checkable.

Editorial vs facts

• Facts: regulatory definitions (for example U.S. exit-seat rules), official passenger-rights summaries, and industry safety education pages. We link out; we do not rewrite the law.
• Editorial: 1 to 10 seat scores, tags (quiet, near-lav, extra-legroom), and “best seats” shortlists on our original schematics. These are planning opinions for a typical leisure traveler, not airline advice.

How we draw seat maps

Every map is an original SVG schematic reconstructed from publicly known typical configuration patterns: approximate seat counts, common layout strings (3-3, 2-4-2, 3-3-3), and widely discussed exit-row / bulkhead positions. We label each config as illustrative. Aircraft change by registration and retrofit. Always confirm with the airline for your flight.

We do not scrape or copy SeatGuru, AeroLOPA, airline PDF diagrams, or competitor HTML/JSON. Airline names appear factually; we never imply affiliation or endorsement.

How editorial scores work

Scores start near the middle of a 1 to 10 scale, then adjust with simple, transparent heuristics applied to our geometry:

• Exit rows and bulkheads usually gain points for space (editorial).
• Window and aisle letters gain a small preference over middle seats (editorial).
• Seats next to lavatory or galley markers lose points for traffic and noise (editorial).
• Rear-cabin rows lose a little for later deplaning / proximity to aft service areas on many types (editorial).

Exit-row eligibility is a separate fact problem. U.S. carriers operating under part 121 follow federal exit-seating rules; other jurisdictions and airline policies differ. If you cannot or should not assist in an evacuation, pick a different row, regardless of our score. See also How Pick Your Row scores work and Exit row tips.

Public sources we cite

Guides link to these (and related) pages when a claim touches regulation, consumer rights, or safety education. Labels below mark each as a fact source we point to, not as content we copied.

1. U.S. eCFR 14 CFR § 121.585 Exit seating fact . Defines exit seats and passenger suitability criteria for U.S. part 121 carriers.
2. FAA Travelers fact . Public FAA traveler safety and consumer information hub.
3. U.S. DOT Fly Rights fact . Department of Transportation aviation consumer protection overview.
4. Your Europe Air passenger rights fact . Official EU consumer summary of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.
5. EASA EU Air Passenger Rights (European Commission) fact . EASA topic page directing readers to Commission-managed passenger rights.
6. IATA Save a Life, Not a Bag (evacuation safety) fact . Industry passenger education on evacuation behavior (leave bags; follow crew).
7. ICAO Safety fact . International standards and safety framework portal, not seat map data.
8. TSA Cares fact . Screening assistance context for travelers who need extra help.

What this site is for

Use seat-map pages for cabin geometry, best-seats pages for an editorial shortlist, and guides for decision frameworks (families, overnight flights, LCC fees, aisle vs window). Then book on the airline’s tools.

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