What does "bulkhead" seats mean on an airplane?

Question

Why do they call it "bulkhead"?

Answer 1

Bulkhead seats are the ones either fixed next to or facing the vertical dividers in an aircraft. These vertical dividers at various sections of the fuselage are known as "bulkheads".

The origin of the word bulkhead can be traced to the diividing partitions in the cargo holds of bulk carriers. These bulkheads

contained the general cargo in their respective areas as well as prevented cargo from shifting around (thereby resulting in de-stabilising the vessels).  Bulheads were rigid partitions and were either fixed or moveable.

Answer 2

The bulkhead is a wall that separates the main cabin from the galley or sometimes different classes of seating. I haven't seen a true bulkhead separating different seating areas lately.

The main differences with bulkhead seating are a)No one can lean their seat back on your knees. b) You cannot stow carry on luggage under the seat in front of you as there is not one there!

Enjoy your flight!

Answer 3

It means there is a wall in front of you when your are seated. Could be between 1st class and coach, or the restrooms or galley.

Upside, more legroom; downside, no under seat storage.

You ask some people what time it is, and they tell you how to build a watch...

Answer 4

Originally in shipping a bulkhead was a wall to keep cargo from shifting.  Bulk from the Norse bulki meaning cargo, and any vertical wall in a ship was a head (except the hull).

Now in a ship or a plane, any interior vertical wall is a bulkhead.

As a result, a bulkhead seat is one that faces an interior wall.  They also often have the emergency exits over the wing at that location.

Answer 5

I think a bulkhead is the overhead compartment that is used for handluggage.  Not sure why its called that though.

Answer 6

A bulkhead seat on an airliner is like the first row behind a cabin wall which means there's no seats in front of you. There a little more leg room.

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Bulkhead  is another of those words that come to us from the days when sailing ships were the only transport craft in the day. Other words from the days of sailing ships is used on aircraft like galley  (kitchen), the hold (cargo compartment) and cockpit *(control room).  The bulkhead on a sailing ship was the vertical partition dividing the hull into separate compartments; often made watertight to prevent excessive flooding if the ship's hull is breached

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Answer 7

Yeah, but in aviation, especially on larger planes, a bulkhead will seperate different classes (first class, buisness class, economy) and in some cases different classes into smaller sections of the plane.

Answer 8

a 'bulkhead' is a wall