TripAdvisor quietly shuts down SeatGuru after years of neglect

For two decades, SeatGuru was the bible for frequent flyers trying to dodge immovable armrests, misaligned windows, and seats that didn’t recline. Founded in 2001, the site built its reputation on community-driven aircraft seat maps that highlighted the best and worst places to sit on almost every commercial jet in service. Now, after years of neglect, TripAdvisor shuts down SeatGuru, ending one of the internet’s most beloved travel tools.

TripAdvisor acquired SeatGuru back in 2007, promising integration with its wider travel ecosystem. But little innovation ever followed. While the main site kept evolving into a broad travel platform, SeatGuru languished – its maps fell out of date, its forums thinned, and airline updates became sporadic. When TripAdvisor shuts down SeatGuru, it closes a chapter many frequent flyers still relied upon for honest, crowdsourced advice.

The closure marks a missed opportunity. With paid seat selection now big business, travellers increasingly want accurate, seat-specific information before parting with £20 or more to avoid a misaligned window or a seat next to several toilets and the galley. SeatGuru could have evolved into a modern data platform – imagine verified dimensions, real-time layout updates, or integration with airline APIs. Instead, it remained frozen in the early-2000s web, while competitors stepped in.

For those still hungry for seat intel, Aerolopa has emerged as the most polished alternative. Its crisp, vector-based aircraft diagrams are beautifully accurate and updated frequently – though they lack SeatGuru’s quirky community comments and red-amber-green warnings. Other niche tools like ExpertFlyer and airline-specific seat maps can help, but nothing quite fills the same niche. And as TripAdvisor shuts down SeatGuru, travellers will no doubt be searching for exactly that – a new go-to guide for choosing the right seat.

For aviation enthusiasts and casual flyers alike, SeatGuru’s demise feels oddly personal. It’s the digital equivalent of a trusted travel companion finally retiring – replaced by slicker, younger options, but fondly remembered every time we click “Select Seat”.