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 seat
- Worst case scenario, you’re still next to each other
- So 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 better
- She 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.
@nycshreya 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 between
- And 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.)
“Smart couples” buy two seats upfront together.
My Wife and I have been doing this for decades, aisles across from each other. The only time this didn’t work out as expected was when the aisles were off center and one of us was a little in front of the other.
@Gene — WFBF?
My wife have been doing the aisle/aisle for years when flying plebe class. Works great as we both prefer aisle
Buying seats across the aisle from each other means that they will carry on conversations with each – across the aisle. This is seriously the absolute worst solution. Let’s see how many people we can disturb with our self centered attitude. (I have yet to see a couple who do not converse during a flight).
You want to sit next to your partner? Book two seats together so you can sit next to your partner. Period. Stop with these adorable little travel hacks. Because they are not adorable.
Yeah this once blew up on my face big time. I left a middle seat empty between my in-laws MIA-EZE and the guy in between wouldn’t move, so my in-laws had to fly all the way down to EZE with an unscheduled diversion in LIM. I was trying to help them and they ended up pissed at me. Live and learn. These days I just book an empty middle seat, especially when I fly just me and my oldest child. He likes the window but I get up to go to the lav often. So I either book first class or block a middle economy whenever possible.
Before my husband and I decided to spend all the hard-earned money we’d made over the years and just book in First, we’d book aisle seats across from each other. Great little hack! Of course we really miss flying MD80s, when we’d have a row of 2 all to ourselves!
The issue with buying the middle seat is that the airline can consider that a no-show and put a standby passenger in it. Then you lose both the seat and what you paid for it. Playing games with an airline gives you worse odds than playing against Big Louie in the “Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game”
In the example, it is in southwest Airlines and you’re getting the lowest of lowest people who try to game the system. The so called “disabled” people case in point. Just book what you want and don’t game the system. I work only trade for the aisle seat or take $200 to trade to the window. It’s a commodity for someone else.
@FedUp – In 35 years of frequent flying I have *not once* seen any other couples in my vicinity sit across the aisle from each other. My husband and I wouldn’t ever talk to each other because from that distance you can’t hear each other. If it bugs you so much, get a pair of headphones and watch a movie. It’s not like they’re invading your personal space. Voila! Problem solved!
The two aisles seats is our standard strategy. As is the notification for seat changes.
I don’t get the “we have to sit together” thing. My husband and I really don’t care. We are together nearly all the time. We don’t have to sit together on a plane, especially short flights.
Aisle/Middle/Window? That’s not what I found interesting in this article. I was shocked that coach passengers didn’t get up when someone needed to use the toilet and instead forced someone to crawl over them to get to the aisle. Were they just perverts looking for a cheap feel opportunity?
@Ron – we learned during COVID that there is a way to prevent the airline from taking the empty middle seat you paid for. You have to book by phone and you have to book it for the full itinerary, not just certain segments. I don’t remember what they told us about how they coded it but they issued an extra boarding pass for that seat.
@Stacy L — That 2-3 configuration (from the MD88 and other variants) lives on with Delta’s ancient 717s, and more modern a220s. Of course, nearly all smaller regionals (CRJ, ERJ, etc.) do only 2-2, so there are still ‘good’ options for couples out there. And, lest we forget, for long-haul and wide-body, there are still older aircraft sets of 2 with the 767, a330, a340. Unfortunately, most of the newer ‘big boys’ (777, a350, 787, etc.) really don’t have 2’ in the back, except for the last few rows.
@Greg — Good point, sir. We need more minds ‘in’ the gutter.
@Stacy
For many years while still living in the States, we Always get opposite aisles. As we are not hearing impaired, we could always carry on conversations without any disturbances. But then again, we never flew Southwheelchairwest.
BTW, you are a very opinionated grump.
@AlanZ — Bah! You’ll have to return (to the USA) once SWA completes their transition to assigned seats, because, the ‘jetway Jesus’ phenomena is probably going to become less of a thing, once there’s no real reason to board early to snag those seats at the front.
@George Romey – “Smart Couples” often book two separate flights.
I rarely trade seats and it will only be same for same, as if I am in aisle and a couple is split up, one in the window beside me and the other in the aisle in front of me. The entitlement of these people who don’t plan ahead and then become indignant when someone won’t fulfill their wishes. “How inconsiderate of you not to trade your first class seat with my husband in coach!”
We always get C and D. I sleep in the same bed as my snoring partner 6 hrs to lhr without that is GREAT.
Yes snores on plane to. But my right hand is used to do the backhand wack to stop it
My spouse insists on Window, and I insist on Aisle. If we aren’t flying First, we look for a 2-seat config, but if it’s a 3-seat config, we’ll just consider it a bonus if the middle seat happens to be empty.
@Ron – you still have to check-in the middle seat, and if your travel agent (COUGH) did it right, you also get the frequent flyer miles and even baggage allowance along with it. And when you board, you need to show the boarding pass to the gate agent.
Some websites even let you book it online – use YOUR last name, and the 1st name is COMFORT. use your date of birth.
🙂
Downloaded the Expert Flyer app only to learn it’s “under construction” and only their website currently works. Will give that a try.
I don’t understand the need to sit next to your spouse on a flight. My wife and I have been doing the across the aisle seating for years but a lot of the time we are 2 or 3 aisles away from each other and we survive the flight believe it or not. If we’re in 1st class, we’re next to each other , but in economy as long as we’re on the same flight and we can both get an aisle seat (we’re both tall) we’re good.
Remember when traveling in Coach there was more room between seat rows than one will encounter in most theaters now? Although silver wings were shining in the sunlight and roaring engines were headed somewhere in flight…it was a long, long time ago and one could actually remain in their seat to let a seat mate out. Airline Presidents who luved their business were replaced by CEO who luved their compensation.
Just hope the original middle seat pax let out two loud, odiferous farts as she passed by each of these entitled jerks while she made her way to the lav… ..And hopefully more than one trip, just for good measure !