Lots of people traveling together as a couple book an aisle seat and a window seat. They’re hoping that the middle seat stays open and they’ll get some extra space for the flight.
This doesn’t always work out. Often, planes are full. Even if the middle seats are the last ones to fill up, there’s a good chance someone will be in that seat.
“That’s ok,” you think, “we can always trade them the window seat and still sit together.”
Best case scenario, extra space with an empty middle seatWorst case scenario, you’re still next to each otherSo it’s better to give yourself a shot at best case rather than book worst case from the outset.
Only sometimes the middle seat passenger won’t move. Here’s a woman who says she prefers a middle seat over a window for two reasons:
She’s claustrophobic, so being closer to the aisle is betterShe gets up to go to the bathroom a lot, and prefers to only have to climb over one person instead of two to do it.
She told a couple no, she wouldn’t take the window seat – but she’s trade for the aisle. The woman with the aisle seat refused, saying she was going to keep the seat she’d paid for! But she’s the one wanting to make a trade. Finally the middle seat passenger relented and took the window – and when she needed to get up to use the lavatory she had to climb over both passengers, who wouldn’t get up even though they’d promised to as part of the trade.
first world problems
That’s why the elegant solution isn’t to book a window and aisle seat instead what you want is two aisle seats across from each other.
You still sit next to each other, with no passengers in betweenAnd you’re guaranteed the extra space of the aisle between you
Why don’t people do this? Of course you can also buy that extra empty seat if you wish on most airlines. Yet almost no one does this, either.
If you don’t like the seats that are available, that you do assign yourself, you can set a free email alert for a better seat. Virtually no one does this, either. (By the way here’s how to know which seat is best.)
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