GOL 737 MAX 8 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Quick Verdict
Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 8 — 37 aircraft, one configuration
Config: 176 seats on sale — 20 GOL Premium (rows 1–5) + 156 Economy (rows 6–33). The airframe is drawn with 186; ten middles are blocked
Version lottery: Yes — against the 737-800. Identical cabin plan, row for row, but the MAX 8 loses the window at 17A/17F, 14A/14F and 5A/5F
The seat to know about: Row 15 — an exit row with the legroom and, at 15A/15B/15E/15F, no full recline. Row 17 has both
Best seats: 17C and 17D — extra legroom, full recline, clean aisle. 15C and 15D are the same deal one row forward
Best in GOL Premium: Rows 2, 3 and 4 — row 1 has less room than they do, and row 5’s recline is limited
Seats to avoid: Row 33 (last row, no recline, lavatories and galley behind) · row 32 · 17A/17F if you want the view
IFE: Streaming to your own device — no seatback screens
Wi-Fi: Gogo 2Ku, 10–40 Mbps, fleetwide
The trap: two exit rows, and only one of them reclines
GOL’s MAX 8 has two overwing exits per side, which creates two extra-legroom rows in the middle of the cabin: row 15 and row 17. Both carry the extra space. A booking map shows them the same way and GOL prices them the same way.
Only row 17 reclines properly. 15A, 15B, 15E and 15F sit directly in front of the second exit and must leave it clear, so their backs are fixed or close to it. The two aisle seats, 15C and 15D, are unaffected — they recline normally and keep the legroom.
So the order is: 17C/17D, then 15C/15D, then the rest of 17
Row 17 is the row to book. It has the same extra legroom, nothing behind it that restricts the seat back, and no exit to keep clear. Within it, 17C and 17D are the pick because — on this aircraft specifically — 17A and 17F have the window set behind the seat. If row 17 is gone, 15C and 15D give you the legroom and a working recline; 15A, 15B, 15E and 15F give you the legroom and not much else. And note row 14, immediately ahead of the first exit: 14A, 14B, 14E and 14F have the same restricted recline with none of the extra legroom.
Where the MAX 8 loses to the 737-800
GOL flies 37 MAX 8s and 81 737-800s, and draws them to the same cabin plan — same rows, same premium block, same seat count, same missing rows. If you are choosing between two flights on the same route, the aircraft type is shown at booking, and there is one measurable reason to prefer the 737-800.
Window alignment, and it lands on the best seats in the cabin. On the MAX 8 the glass sits behind the seat at 17A and 17F — the two window seats in the best extra-legroom row — and also at 14A/14F and at 5A/5F in GOL Premium. On the 737-800 all six of those positions have a clean view. Counted across the economy cabin, sixteen seats rate well on the 737-800 against twelve on the MAX 8.
| MAX 8 (37 aircraft) | 737-800 (81 aircraft) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin plan | Identical — rows 1–5 premium, 6–33 economy | Identical |
| Seats on sale | 176 (20 + 156) | 176 (20 + 156) |
| 17A / 17F | Window set behind the seat | Clean view |
| 14A / 14F | Window set behind the seat | Clean view |
| 5A / 5F (Premium) | Window set behind the seat | Clean view |
| Misaligned window rows | 5, 8, 10, 11, 14, 17, 23 | 8, 10, 11, 23 |
| Well-rated economy seats | 12 | 16 |
| How to tell | Shown as 737 MAX 8 / 7M8 at booking | Shown as 737-800 / 738 at booking |
This is a small edge, not a reason to pay more or fly at a worse time. But it is free to act on: if the fare and the schedule are the same, take the 737-800 — and if you are on the MAX 8 and you want row 17, take 17C or 17D rather than the window.
GOL Premium: rows 2, 3 and 4, and not row 1
GOL Premium is not a separate seat. It is rows 1 to 5 of the same cabin with the middle seat blocked — a fixed table sits on B and E for the whole flight — plus priority, a snack and drinks. Twenty seats sell out of the thirty drawn. That is the intra-Europe business pattern, applied to GOL’s international routes.
Row 1 is the worst row in the premium cabin, not the best
The forward bulkhead sits 24 to 25 inches ahead of row 1 — closer than the seat back you would have in front of you in an ordinary row. Row 1 therefore has less space than rows 2, 3 and 4, not more, and it loses underseat storage as well. It is the row most people pick first. Row 5 is compromised too: it backs onto the cabin divider, so its recline is limited, and on the MAX 8 the glass at 5A and 5F sits behind the seat. Book row 2, 3 or 4.
Within those rows there is little to separate the seats. 1C gets a sliver of extra foot room from a partial bulkhead on its right, which is the one thing row 1 has going for it.
Economy, row by row
The row numbers
Economy runs from row 6 to row 33, but rows 13 and 16 do not exist. Thirteen is skipped by convention; sixteen is skipped because the second overwing exit takes its place. So the sequence is 6–12, then 14, 15, then 17–33. If you are counting rows back from the premium cabin to work out where you are sitting, you will be two out.
The back of the cabin
Row 33 is the last row: it does not recline, the lavatories are immediately behind, and the galley sits behind 33B, 33C, 33D and 33E. Row 32 is against the same lavatory bank and row 31 catches the queue. The last genuinely clean row is 30.
Windows
On this aircraft the glass is out of line at 5A/5F, 8A/8F, 10A, 11A/11F, 14A/14F, 17A/17F and 23A/23F. At 11A and 11F the window sits forward of the seat, so you lean ahead rather than back. Everywhere else in the cabin the alignment is clean, and the forward economy rows 6, 7, 9 and 12 are the quietest window seats on the aircraft.
Quick picks by traveller
| You are… | Take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tall | 17C or 17D | Extra legroom, full recline, and no window to miss |
| Tall, row 17 gone | 15C or 15D | Same legroom, recline still works |
| Set on a window | 6A, 7A, 9A (or F) | Forward, quiet, clean alignment |
| Travelling as a couple | 17C and 17B, or row 30 A/B | Legroom pair, or a quiet pair clear of the rear lavatories |
| Buying GOL Premium | Row 2, 3 or 4 | Row 1 is tighter and row 5 barely reclines |
| Travelling with an infant | Rows 6–12, D/E/F | Exit rows are barred with an infant; this block is forward and away from the lavatories |
| On a budget, want out fast | 6C or 6D | First economy row, aisle, first off the aircraft |
Comparable guides
- GOL 737-800 — the other half of this fleet, and the better draw
- Copa 737-800 seat guide
- LATAM A321 — the main rival on Brazilian trunk routes
- Aeroméxico 737 MAX 8 seat guide
- American 737 MAX 8 seat guide
Frequently asked questions
What are the best seats on GOL’s 737 MAX 8?
17C and 17D. Row 17 is the second overwing exit row: extra legroom, full recline, and nothing behind it to restrict the seat back. The aisle seats beat the windows here because 17A and 17F have the glass set behind the seat on this aircraft type.
What is the difference between row 15 and row 17?
Both are exit rows with extra legroom, but 15A, 15B, 15E and 15F sit in front of the second exit and cannot fully recline. 15C and 15D are unaffected. Row 17 has no exit behind it, so every seat reclines normally.
Is GOL Premium worth it?
It is the intra-Europe business pattern — the same seat with the middle blocked by a fixed table, plus priority, a snack and drinks. There is no different seat. If you buy it, take row 2, 3 or 4: row 1 has a bulkhead 24–25 inches ahead, which is less room than an ordinary row, and row 5’s recline is limited by the cabin divider.
Why do rows 13 and 16 not exist?
Row 13 is skipped by superstition, as on most airlines. Row 16 is skipped because the second overwing exit occupies that position in the cabin, so economy runs 6–12, 14, 15, then 17–33.
Should I choose the MAX 8 or the 737-800?
The cabins are identical row for row. The 737-800 wins narrowly on window alignment: 17A, 17F, 14A, 14F, 5A and 5F have clean views there and the window set behind the seat on the MAX 8. If the fare and the timing match, take the 737-800; otherwise it is not worth reshaping a trip over.
Which seats should I avoid?
Row 33 — last row, no recline, lavatories immediately behind and the galley behind the middle four seats. Row 32 is against the same lavatories, and row 31 catches the queue. Row 14 is worth avoiding too: restricted recline at 14A/14B/14E/14F with none of the exit-row legroom.