Top Five Airline Seats

The rules:
1. It must be a seat I've actually sat in on a flight
2. It must be in economy/coach class
3. Since I like window seats the best, all of these seats are windows
And yes, I keep track of these things.

1. Seat 17J, Boeing 777-200, United Airlines
This seat is a bulkhead seat at the very front of United's economy cabin. The first several rows of United planes are called Economy Plus, since they feature additional pitch between seats and therefore, enhanced leg room. But this bulkhead is the best of the best. While I may not be particularly tall, I am not short, and in 17J, I can stick my legs straight out and not even touch the bulkhead wall. The lack of floor storage for takeoff and landing (since there is no seat in front of you) is no issue, since you can easily pop up and grab stuff out of the overhead bins without disturbing the person next to you. For a 14-hour flight to Japan, there's no better way to travel unless you can make your way into business class.

2. Seat 58B, Boeing 747-400, El Al Israel Airlines
While this seat is technically a middle seat, the curvature of the plane near the tail leaves no room to install a true window seat in 58A. Therefore, the lucky chap in 58B gets a precious row of two on a 747, with a window, with additional arm room, and with a shelf next to the seat on which you can set up shop with your belongings.

3. Seat 24A, Boeing 747-400, Lufthansa
This seat is a bulkhead at the very front of the economy cabin. If you are willing to forgo the small convenience of floor storage for takeoff and landing and willing to suffer the marginal decrease in seat width from in-armrest tray tables, you are treated to additional leg room. It might not be quite as spacious as United's 777 (since you can put your feet on the wall), but it is nonetheless plenty comfortable if you are consigned to Economy on a transatlantic flight. Additionally, I believe that sitting in the front of the cabin on a widebody plane lessens the feeling of claustrophobia, since you can't see how many people are packed onto the airplane with you.

4. Seat 25A, Boeing 747-400, Air New Zealand
Since Air New Zealand recognizes the need for comfort on 12-hour trans-pacs, its seat pitch for all passengers in Economy Class is 34", several inches more than the standard for United States airlines. Those three or four inches make a huge difference. The seats are also equipped with winged headrests and fold-down footrests. While the seats are no wider than standard, they are better cushioned and contoured to your posterior than usual. Sitting in Row 25, you are one row behind the exit row, and instead of a middle section, you have a flight attendant station. As a result, you feel like you're in a semi-private mini cabin, which makes a huge difference on a fully-loaded 747.

5. Seat 11E, Airbus 319, United Airlines
This row is an exit row, meaning that legroom is even greater than it otherwise would be in the Economy Plus section. But unlike many exit rows, you have a seat in front of you that you can use to stow your belongings. Seat 11F is missing, meaning that Roe 11 is a row of two and 11E is one of those rare window seats with extra space next to you on the window side. Essentially, it's the best of both worlds between a window and aisle seat.