Sichuan Airlines A330-300

Every seat has its own path to the aisle. The staggered layout means nobody climbs over a neighbour, which the standard two-two-two fit cannot offer its window seats. For an overnight sector that difference is the whole argument.

Check the seat map on your booking. The staggered cabin shows offset seats with gaps between them, while the standard fit shows tidy rows of six across. The two versions fly the same routes, so the map is the quickest way to see which you have drawn.

The window-aligned seats in the stagger, which sit tucked against the fuselage with the most privacy in the cabin. The centre seats come in pairs and are the natural pick for two people travelling together.

It is one of the better ones in the fleet, with bassinet positions spread across several economy bulkheads. They are limited and go early, so ask at booking rather than at the gate, and expect a little foot traffic past the bulkhead rows.

The forward half of the cabin, away from the rear galleys where the light and noise gather. A window seat in one of the two-seat pairs adds a wall to lean on, which is worth something at two in the morning.