TripAdvisor quietly closed SeatGuru late last year after almost 25 years, ending access to one of the oldest online tools used by frequent flyers and travel advisors to check seating maps and choose cabins on global airlines and different aircraft types. What are the best SeatGuru alternatives in 2026?
First launched in 2001 and acquired by TripAdvisor in 2007, SeatGuru was a go-to resource for travellers, travel writers and the industry at large at its height.
The site published seat maps of most aircraft types across hundreds of airlines, colour-coded by the best and worst seats and noting details, such as seat pitch and width, business class bed length and recline.
However, the SeatGuru website had not published new seating maps since early 2020, meaning the outdated advice forced the once-popular site into irrelevance.
Then, in November 2025, the website was discontinued with an automatic redirect message saying: “SeatGuru has closed down, please visit TripAdvisor to plan your next trip”. (Note: TripAdvisor does not offer aircraft seating map info.)
While Karryon’s editorial team hasn’t used SeatGuru for a while (see above about the outdated content), the loss of this once-useful resource has still been lamented among aviation and travel writers who often used the information for flight reviews.
Others mentioned that they would check SeatGuru before booking flights to ensure their preferred seat selection for an optimal inflight experience.
What are the best SeatGuru alternatives?
1. aeroLOPA
Widely regarded as the closest replacement for SeatGuru, aeroLOPA offers high-quality, illustrated aircraft seating layouts and will roll out new upgrades in 2026. The platform will cater directly to former SeatGuru users, introducing peer-to-peer seat ratings, heat maps showing the best and worst seats, and a new ‘Favourites’ feature for storing preferred layouts. It even goes a step further, highlighting the exact position of windows in the cabin – perfect for travellers chasing that overwing shot or specific view.
2. SeatMaps
Another popular option is SeatMaps, which maintains a large, though more generic, global seat plan database. Travellers can search by route or flight number, see aircraft-specific configurations and even view 3D cabin layouts of popular aircraft. It’s a great general overview tool, particularly when used in tandem with AeroLOPA for more detailed “avgeek” insights.
3. AwardFares
For travellers focused on real-time accuracy, the AwardFares Seat Map Tool provides live seat occupancy data for specific flights — a significant advantage over static maps. This is especially useful for travellers choosing seats based on proximity, emptier rows or cabin occupancy before confirming a booking.
KARRYON UNPACKS: SeatGuru’s shutdown closes a nostalgic chapter in online aviation research, but it opens the door for more accurate, tech-driven seat map tools – a win for advisors and travellers chasing detail, data and comfort for their next flight booking.
