SeatGuru closes after 24 years: Here’s how to find the best seats on planes now
November 22, 2025
SeatGuru is no more. Their helpful colour-coded aircraft maps, which pointed out problematic seats, have vanished. Though the seat-mapping site had been less valuable in recent years due to a lack of maintenance, it was still possible to review older data.
That was until the end of October, when TripAdvisor shut down the site, redirecting visitors to a grey page marking its demise, then bouncing them to its own website.
So what are air travellers to do if they want to avoid windowless window seats or seats that are too close to the lavatory for comfort? Fortunately, there are alternatives.
The rise and fall of SeatGuru
Launched in 2001 by frequent business traveller Matthew Daimler, SeatGuru offered aircraft seat maps, user reviews, and colour-coded seat ratings (green = good, red = avoid) across hundreds of aircraft and dozens of airlines.
In 2007, the website was acquired by TripAdvisor (then part of Expedia) with the intent to integrate seat–selection advice into its broader travel reviews and recommendations.
For many years, it was the go-to resource for frequent flyers seeking to optimise their seat choice, avoid misaligned windows, bulkheads, seats near toilets or galleys, poor recline, and other aircraft cabin bugbears.
Despite its early prominence, SeatGuru began to stagnate around the late 2010s. The last major updates to seat-maps were around early 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aircraft re-configurations weren’t reflected in the ageing database, new cabins weren’t added, and old seat maps didn’t match the actual layout of the aircraft currently flying. That was bound to happen, with no one checking. Airlines introduce new aircraft and generally refurbish existing planes, sometimes changing seat density, on a 7- to 10-year cycle.
As part of its decline, the SeatGuru mobile apps were delisted, and the site’s community engagement and updates had dwindled. By the end of October, the grey page went up, and the domain now redirects to TripAdvisor with the message “SeatGuru has closed down, please visit TripAdvisor to plan your next trip.”
The decision to abandon SeatGuru came long ago, when TripAdvisor failed to keep the site up to date. Tracking changes to aircraft layouts and cabin interior equipment is precise, labour-intensive work that requires a dedicated team. TripAdvisor evidently didn’t find the expense worthwhile.
Why checking your seat map matters and how to find one now
With airlines increasingly charging seat-selection fees, the importance of accurate seat map information has grown.
As recent lawsuits prove, passengers don’t want to pay extra for a ‘premium’ window seat that turns out to have no window.
Many airlines include seat maps in their reservation flow, but they don’t always provide the information that discriminating passengers need most. After all, why would airlines draw attention to their own problematic seats?
But there are reliable alternatives to SeatGuru. Travellers can bookmark these for quick reference.
AeroLOPA provides extensive and accurate technical details
AeroLOPA provides the most comprehensive set of up-to-date seat maps and does a fine job of keeping them current. The site hasn’t opted to include SeatGuru’s unique ‘problem seat’ highlighting, but all the information is on their site to help you judge your seat appropriately.
For example, most of the LOPAs (Location Of Passenger Accommodation) listed include a complete run-down of cabin equipment and dimensions. So travellers can find seat width, legroom (pitch), recline, in-flight entertainment screen size and even whether there is WiFi service installed on the aircraft.
The fuselage illustrations on the LOPA are correctly aligned to the seats, so it’s clear when the window seat lacks a window.
SeatMaps steps in to fill the gap SeatGuru left behind
SeatMaps comes closest to the SeatGuru model, offering colour-coded seat maps, basic seat dimensions, and crowd-sourced ratings. The site also features pictures and 360º panoramic views of the aircraft interior, for some airlines.
It doesn’t dive into all the cabin equipment details that AeroLOPA publishes (which appeals to those of us who track the aircraft interiors business closely). Still, it provides other information, including airline policies on baggage, pets, and the check-in process, which travellers might find helpful.
Before you check the map, know your aircraft
Always check the specific aircraft operating your flight before you head over to these sites, as they are organised by aircraft type. Most booking engines will list the aircraft type in flight search result details. Keep in mind that seat maps vary; even on the same aircraft type, there can be multiple variants. Both sites provide seat maps of the variants.
SeatGuru’s demise isn’t the end of seat visibility for passengers
The shutdown of SeatGuru marks the end of a widely used travel tool that, for over two decades, shaped how flyers thought about seat selection. While we mourn the passing of a brand and resource many relied on, the truth is that SeatGuru had already become less helpful long before its closure — its data was stale and its upkeep minimal.
The good news for air travellers is that there are still resources available for seat map intelligence that offer greater accuracy, more up-to-date layouts, and richer insights.
Flyers who want to know what they’re getting before paying fees for seat selection can find plenty of information on all cabin classes, whether they check AeroLOPA.com, SeatMaps.com, or both.
It never hurts to double-check your seat before you book. Keep in mind that airlines may change equipment on the day of travel, so nothing is 100% guaranteed.
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Featured Image: Finnair
