Every traveler knows what it’s like to get the worst seat on the plane. But how do you know ahead of time which seat will lead to twelve hours of misery and which one will let you recline in leisurely bliss? Seat Guru might just be the answer. The website has detailed diagrams of airline seating, also noting services such as meal availability on airlines.

After simply selecting the airline and aircraft model, a diagram will offer a peek into the cabin, color coded like a stoplight, with green seats being the exceptionally good seats, yellow the ones to use caution with, and red being the seats to avoid if at all possible. The information not only includes basics such as which seats do not fully recline and which ones offer only limited legroom, but offers details such as which seats tend to get chilly during flight and which ones have misaligned windows, causing a passenger to crane his or her neck for a peek of the expanse below. Power ports are even marked, for those who need to power up during flight.

While Seat Guru offers great advice on where to sit, it can’t guarantee you a pleasant seatmate. The site FlightsFromHell.com lets travelers share and exchange stories about their unpleasant aviation encounters. The expected story categories such as “Babies & Kids” are included as well as the slightly obscure “Weird people” section that notes one passenger’s tale of a fellow passenger who was a dead ringer for a Neanderthal. The “Portly” section is one easy for many to relate to, as many travelers have faced the difficulty of a seatmate who exceeds the bounds of his or her alloted seat.

And of course Flyer Talk is a good site for people who fly, with forums to exchange information on everything from frequent flyer programs to airport to security to what airport hotel is the best.

While these sites cannot make a trip more pleasant, they can help a traveler be a little more prepared before they fly the “friendly” skies, or if all else fails, at least place to vent afterwards with people who understand.