This plane seating 'hack' has the internet split - here's how it works!

If you’ve ever sat in a cramped plane seat with just inches between you and the passenger beside you on a long-haul flight, then you’ll know just how relieving a little extra leg-room can be.

It’s quite shiver inducing when the leg of someone you don’t know brushes up yours, right? (Bonus ick points if they’re wearing shorts and have hairy legs.)

That’s why we're intrigued by this new airline ‘hack’ that has the internet divided!


It all started when a woman named Hannah Sampson took to Twitter to ask a simple question.

‘People who fly as couples,’ she said. ‘Do you book the aisle and window (seats) and gamble on an empty middle seat?’

‘And people who fly solo: do you hate it when couples do this?’ she added.

The intent of the seemingly innocent hack was put into words by one woman who responded.

‘We’re a “couple” of flying fanatics who do this every time,’ she said. ‘Better chance of getting the row to ourselves.’


Screenshot_5.png
YouTube comedy channel Dude Perfect poked fun at middle seats as ‘The Worst Seat Ever’ in one video. Screengrab Credit: YouTube/Dude Perfect


So in a nutshell, it appears some people are actually booking window and aisle seats in the hopes of no one wanting to book the seat in between (at least, in planes with three seats on window sides).

Some people were onboard with the idea, surprisingly enough!

‘You have to gamble like this. It’s the only way,’ a user agreed.

‘Yes, always on the off chance it leads to extra room,’ another added.


And a third said: ‘Always, since the last seats to get filled are the middle ones (towards the back). It’s the best chance of having more space and the passenger in the middle is always happy to switch to the window or the aisle.’

Others openly disagreed with the idea, partly because there’s never really certainty that the ‘gamble’, as one user put it, would pay off.

One user said: ‘Nah, aisle or window (seats) plus the window seat. Pretty much a guarantee these days that the middle seat will be filled.’

‘I feel like every flight is full now and that gamble is far riskier,’ another agreed.

And of course, some disliked the hack because of bad experiences with travelers who did the same.

‘(I) typically hate when people do this,’ a user confessed. ‘The few times I’ve been the middle person, the couple stayed in their respective seats but talked, argued, and passed things over me.’

‘If you’re going to stay in the seats you chose, you need to pretend like you don’t know each other.’


pexels-photo-5096817.jpg
Getting ample legroom on a flight can be tricky, which is why some have devised strategies to get more space. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Domenico Bandiera


Lastly, others offered their own arrangements and explained why theirs worked best.

‘We book seats next to each other. It’s hard enough getting on the plane and getting settled in the tiny space provided without everyone renegotiating their seating deals at the last minute,’ one shared.

Another said: ‘We both sit on the aisle, in the same row, across from each other. We can converse, or not. It’s worked for 44 years.’

‘My wife and I always book the window and middle (seats). I always take the middle… while she gets the window. Happy wife, happy life,’ a third added.

Who knew there were things like this at play in flights!


Now, it’s a fair assumption to make that everyone has their personal seating preferences on flights — it’s just that middle seats are really unpopular.

In one Virgin Australia poll, only 0.6 per cent of respondents chose the middle seat as their seat of choice on a flight. As a result, they even launched a special raffle just to incentivise choosing the location!

However, when it comes to seating etiquette, it’s important to remember that not everyone can be accommodated.

While it might seem like a good idea to get the aisle seat and the window seat, leaving the middle seat free between you and a companion, it’s not an option that suits all.

Keep in mind that during busy periods, it’s likely all the seats will be filled, so even if two people take an aisle and a window seat, they might still end up with a stranger sitting between them.
Key Takeaways

  • The internet has been divided yet again following a popular seating "hack" for plane travel in order to get more leg-room.
  • This hack requires couples, or a pair of friends, to book the aisle seat and the window, leaving the middle seat free between them.
  • The likelihood is that no one would book the middle seat in between you both, but if it doesn't go in your favor, you may find yourself in an awkward situation.
  • While it is true that everyone has a seat of choice while travelling, it's also important to recognise that other people have theirs too.
To put it bluntly, it can be rude to impose on another passenger to switch their seat when it was what they saw was available and chose, so it’s best to be wary of this when playing the seating hack game as not all will trade places with a smile.

Speaking of travel etiquette, you might want to check out what one woman did on a plane that had her co-passengers nauseated, or what one former flight attendant says about the most annoying type of plane passenger.

We’d love to hear your thoughts — is this seating ‘hack’ something people should even be doing in the first place?

Let us know in the comments section below!
 
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Naaaaah.
Covid ruined it for me. I won't fly in anything other than an air-ambulance now (no need to worry about seating on THAT!).
I don't care if it's a 3000+km trip to see my Grandson; I'll drive it rather than risk containment in a confined space with 100-odd potential disease-carriers while simultaneously propping up Alan Joyce's bonus.
 
Naaaaah.
Covid ruined it for me. I won't fly in anything other than an air-ambulance now (no need to worry about seating on THAT!).
I don't care if it's a 3000+km trip to see my Grandson; I'll drive it rather than risk containment in a confined space with 100-odd potential disease-carriers while simultaneously propping up Alan Joyce's bonus.
Fair enough. It works both ways, so your Grandson & his parents can visit you instead.
 
All airlines should do what AirAsia do - sell empty seats. I usually buy at least one empty adjacent seat but if I want to have a sleep I will buy both. You should see how aggro other passengers get when they see empty seats and can't use them. The biggest worry is when you have to go to the toilet. Invariably someone will try to pirate your seat. Can cause problems. Another trick is to feign a back injury so that you get a whole row of seats to lie down and have a sleep. Standard trick for some yobboes and it works because the airline staff are in no position to question their fictitious injury. A dirty world
 
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If you’ve ever sat in a cramped plane seat with just inches between you and the passenger beside you on a long-haul flight, then you’ll know just how relieving a little extra leg-room can be.

It’s quite shiver inducing when the leg of someone you don’t know brushes up yours, right? (Bonus ick points if they’re wearing shorts and have hairy legs.)

That’s why we're intrigued by this new airline ‘hack’ that has the internet divided!


It all started when a woman named Hannah Sampson took to Twitter to ask a simple question.

‘People who fly as couples,’ she said. ‘Do you book the aisle and window (seats) and gamble on an empty middle seat?’

‘And people who fly solo: do you hate it when couples do this?’ she added.

The intent of the seemingly innocent hack was put into words by one woman who responded.

‘We’re a “couple” of flying fanatics who do this every time,’ she said. ‘Better chance of getting the row to ourselves.’


View attachment 11362
YouTube comedy channel Dude Perfect poked fun at middle seats as ‘The Worst Seat Ever’ in one video. Screengrab Credit: YouTube/Dude Perfect


So in a nutshell, it appears some people are actually booking window and aisle seats in the hopes of no one wanting to book the seat in between (at least, in planes with three seats on window sides).

Some people were onboard with the idea, surprisingly enough!

‘You have to gamble like this. It’s the only way,’ a user agreed.

‘Yes, always on the off chance it leads to extra room,’ another added.


And a third said: ‘Always, since the last seats to get filled are the middle ones (towards the back). It’s the best chance of having more space and the passenger in the middle is always happy to switch to the window or the aisle.’

Others openly disagreed with the idea, partly because there’s never really certainty that the ‘gamble’, as one user put it, would pay off.

One user said: ‘Nah, aisle or window (seats) plus the window seat. Pretty much a guarantee these days that the middle seat will be filled.’

‘I feel like every flight is full now and that gamble is far riskier,’ another agreed.

And of course, some disliked the hack because of bad experiences with travelers who did the same.

‘(I) typically hate when people do this,’ a user confessed. ‘The few times I’ve been the middle person, the couple stayed in their respective seats but talked, argued, and passed things over me.’

‘If you’re going to stay in the seats you chose, you need to pretend like you don’t know each other.’


View attachment 11363
Getting ample legroom on a flight can be tricky, which is why some have devised strategies to get more space. Stock Image Credit: Pexels/Domenico Bandiera


Lastly, others offered their own arrangements and explained why theirs worked best.

‘We book seats next to each other. It’s hard enough getting on the plane and getting settled in the tiny space provided without everyone renegotiating their seating deals at the last minute,’ one shared.

Another said: ‘We both sit on the aisle, in the same row, across from each other. We can converse, or not. It’s worked for 44 years.’

‘My wife and I always book the window and middle (seats). I always take the middle… while she gets the window. Happy wife, happy life,’ a third added.

Who knew there were things like this at play in flights!


Now, it’s a fair assumption to make that everyone has their personal seating preferences on flights — it’s just that middle seats are really unpopular.

In one Virgin Australia poll, only 0.6 per cent of respondents chose the middle seat as their seat of choice on a flight. As a result, they even launched a special raffle just to incentivise choosing the location!

However, when it comes to seating etiquette, it’s important to remember that not everyone can be accommodated.

While it might seem like a good idea to get the aisle seat and the window seat, leaving the middle seat free between you and a companion, it’s not an option that suits all.

Keep in mind that during busy periods, it’s likely all the seats will be filled, so even if two people take an aisle and a window seat, they might still end up with a stranger sitting between them.
Key Takeaways

  • The internet has been divided yet again following a popular seating "hack" for plane travel in order to get more leg-room.
  • This hack requires couples, or a pair of friends, to book the aisle seat and the window, leaving the middle seat free between them.
  • The likelihood is that no one would book the middle seat in between you both, but if it doesn't go in your favor, you may find yourself in an awkward situation.
  • While it is true that everyone has a seat of choice while travelling, it's also important to recognise that other people have theirs too.
To put it bluntly, it can be rude to impose on another passenger to switch their seat when it was what they saw was available and chose, so it’s best to be wary of this when playing the seating hack game as not all will trade places with a smile.

Speaking of travel etiquette, you might want to check out what one woman did on a plane that had her co-passengers nauseated, or what one former flight attendant says about the most annoying type of plane passenger.

We’d love to hear your thoughts — is this seating ‘hack’ something people should even be doing in the first place?

Let us know in the comments section below!
I think it would be Russian Roulette trying for an empty seat , especially in economy , and the middle seat is murder for comfort , that's why I always fly Business or not at all . I did when I was younger to save money and have more for my holiday . I always have a window seat as it's more comfortable for eating , getting up and out for toilet breaks etc,. and for receiving Cabin Staff service , I like the eye contact and the eye contact for a thank you is always appreciated by the staff . The extra leg room is always nice also .
 
Most suitable seating arrangement for me is 2 seated opposite each other across the aisle
That way we can both get up without bothering each other or anyone else and can still chat.
 
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I remember years ago we fly over to the US to join a ship, and although the company routinely flew you cattle class, the passengers were still mostly businessmen and women passengers would visibly cringe when we sat down next to them as the airlines would seat seamen anywhere near each other for obvious reasons!! Now if we were on a 10 or 11 am "o'clock flight we would get to the airport about 4- 4.30 am. Now in those, you couldn't get a get other tea or coffee and the hip flask didn't go far ( sorry this is taking so long, what started as a short narrative seems to have into the epistles of the apostles) We would buy the Times and sit around and nut out the answers. Before eventually boarding the plane I would buy the times and find my seat and put up with the cringe, now they are all wearing business attire and I'm wearing Denim which had a bit of a stigma attached to anyone wearing it. Make my self comfortable as possible and open the Times to the Crosswords Break out my solid Gold Biro and proceed to complete the crossword, remarking that I couldn't see what all the fuss was about the Times crossword puzzle, fold the newspaper and just put it in the pocket in front of me and pretend to sleep, knowing that they were pissed because I had completed the times in just over five minutes, bloody snobs.
 
Writing that little narrative reminds me of a tale about the builder's labourer, the Banker, a businessman, and a priest. They all got the same train, the same carriage every morning, settle down together and, do the crossword. This particular morning the labourer finished first and mentioned how easy it was that day, The banker asked what the answer was for four down, the clue being a four letter for sex. The labourer replied that it was Love L.O.V.E after being thanked the priest asked if anyone had a Rubber.
 
My Husband likes the window seat, and I like the aisle seat, so when we travel together that’s how we book. It‘s not done to score an extra seat, but that is often how it goes. These days when you have to pay for your seat over and above the cost of your airfare it seems reasonable to have the seat you prefer.
 
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It's about time Airlines started reducing the seats to make it more comfortable and a small increase in tickets would be excepted.
 
Reducing the seats would make it a lot more uncomfortable for most travellers. That's why the seats are bigger in business class. Reducing the seats would not result in an increase in tickets. And it would not be acceptable - no exceptions. Choose your words carefully
 
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Reducing the seats would make it a lot more uncomfortable for most travellers. That's why the seats are bigger in business class. Reducing the seats would not result in an increase in tickets. And it would not be acceptable - no exceptions. Choose your words carefully
I didn't mean reduce the size of the seats, but the number of seats to give everyone more space.
 

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