11A-- most hated to the most coveted seat

The sole survivor of Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport yesterday afternoon, was seated in 11A. A British-Indian man, Vishwashkumar Ramesh walked away from the wreckage that claimed 241 lives. His extraordinary survival has since captured the attention of not only India but also the world.

Ramesh's escape was quickly labelled a miracle. Social media erupted with references to "God's grace", "sheer luck", and even to the seat itself, with terms like 'Miracle Seat' 11A going viral.

In an interview from his hospital bed with DD News, Ramesh recounted the moment he realised he was still alive. "I've no idea how I survived. For a while, I thought I was dying too. But when I opened my eyes, I tried to get out. I saw the gate was broken and there was a small gap, I jumped through it," he said.

According to the Boeing 787's seating configuration used by Air India, Seat 11A is a Standard Economy Exit Row seat positioned right next to an exit. Though such seats are often avoided by passengers due to reduced recline and proximity to the door, it was this very closeness that perhaps saved Ramesh's life. Ironically, the seat that became a life-saving miracle on the Boeing 787 is widely considered one of the worst seats on another aircraft model: the Boeing 737.

On the Boeing 737-900 and 900ER, Seat 11A is infamously known as a window seat without a window. It has even earned itself the nickname "the windowless window seat", becoming a running joke and meme on travel forums and social media. Many passengers have complained about this particular seat, especially those who booked it expecting a view.

Now, social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is buzzing with a new question: has Seat 11A just gone from the most hated to the most coveted? With Ramesh's miraculous survival tied to this seat, people are asking whether airlines operating Boeing 737s will start charging extra for it.

What was once a point of ridicule has now become a symbol of unbelievable luck. Whether airlines choose to monetise the myth of Seat 11A remains to be seen - but for Vishwashkumar Ramesh and his family, it will forever be the seat that gave him a second life.