Seat assignment question

[minniecarousel]

When the seats are 3-across, do you book the aisle and window, in hopes that no one will book the center seat? So if it's not a full plane, you might end up with a row of three seats for the two of you? Is this risky? If someone shows up for that middle seat, and you offer them the choice of window or aisle, have you ever had anyone decline the offer, and sit in between you?

I'm an infrequent flyer (can ya tell?)

 

[dioxide45]

This doesn't really work well these days. While no one may preselect that middle seat, it is very likely that it will be assigned at check in to someone. On AirTran where the left side of the 737s is three wide with the middle blocked, we end up picking A and C only when we have no other choice. When we board, we sit in the window and middle seat and offer the isle to the person originally assigned to the middle. Many times we don't offer and they just sit down in the isle seat. Never had anyone decline yet.

 

[n2mm]

We don't fly much, only for vacation, and with 6 trips this year, that is 12 flights this year. We are a party of 2 and we have ALWAYS had someone in our row with us. Every flight in and out of Dulles to Orlando is full. I think most flights are oversold. I fly United, Southwest, and Jetblue and all of my flights are always like this. I think you choosing a window/aisle really won't matter as there will be someone sitting between you unless they agree to move. My DH enjoys sitting in the middle seat of strangers because he has a new audience to tell his many stories too. We always laugh when we get separated because I get a nice quiet ride and feel a little sorry for the folks sitting with him.

 

[Missytara]

n2mm - too funny. I have a new friend that just started going to my favorite watering hole that I would like to hook up with your husband.

He is a retired insurance salesman and made his living with the gift of gab. Now I am one that could talk up a storm, but this guy takes the cake. I have sat with him and have not been able to get a word in edgewise for sometimes up to 30 to 40 minutes.

I would love to see the two of them get together in a duel to the death...to see who can outtalk each other!

 

[Missytara]

To the OP, that seat will most likely be assigned to someone who has already booked the flight who chose not to choose their seats ahead of time - like Airtran, if they do not know they can go to kayak.com to avoid paying the seat fee.

You also have people who may have been bumped from another flight to your flight because it was overbooked

Or if there is a weather delay in another city and the flight has been diverted. I once was on a plane to MCO where they filled in with a family of 9 on stand-by because it was diverted from Atlanta to Charlotte due to snow.

Airlines are not going to leave that seat open if they can help it. With the airfare wars the way they are now, they cannot afford to hold open one seat on the plane.

 

[roxazul]

I choose our seats this way for the returning flight. I was hoping for a little more space

Hopefully they won't separate a single mom & her 5yo daughter
We'll just move to the window.

 

[crashbb]

I choose our seats this way for the returning flight. I was hoping for a little more space

Hopefully they won't separate a single mom & her 5yo daughter
We'll just move to the window.

What is your plan if the person in the middle seat doesn't want to move out of that seat?

I think it very unlikely, but (on flyertalk) there are at least a few stories about people in the middle seat refusing to move. At that point, "they" didn't separate a 5 year old child from her mother - you did

 

[roxazul]

Don't have a plan...
but DD whining to be near me all flight long shoud be sufficient for the narrow-minded.

 

[crashbb]

Don't have a plan...
but DD whining to be near me all flight long shoud be sufficient for the narrow-minded.

Again, we see why noise canceling earphones were invented.

Why would someone wanted to stay in the seat that they booked, thus preventing you from playing the system, be the narrow minded one?

 

[mitsybella]

, "they" didn't separate a 5 year old child from her mother - you did

Not quite true since the middle seat is not an option when you are booking, but I would think/hope there would be a way to change this before the flight to ensure you are sitting together??

 

[roxazul]

Thanks for you comments, we'll see how it goes.

english is not my first language so I may have used an expression in an inapropriate way

 

[Lewisc]

I choose our seats this way for the returning flight. I was hoping for a little more space

Hopefully they won't separate a single mom & her 5yo daughter
We'll just move to the window.

I don't understand. You're the one who requested the seats. You're guaranteed to be separated from your daughter. Maybe by an empty seat but more likely by another passenger.

Many passengers will be willing from a middle seat to a window or aisle seat. Do you care if your seats are aisle/middle or middle/window? The middle passenger may prefer the aisle (easier to get out) or might prefer the window (so he doesn't have to get up every time you want to go to the bathroom).

You didn't indicate your airline. A few airlines still try to block empty middle seats next to elite fliers. Some airlines block seats near the front of the plane for elite fliers. The result is non-elite fliers have almost no shot of an empty middle seat.

 

[crashbb]

Not quite true since the middle seat is not an option when you are booking, but I would think/hope there would be a way to change this before the flight to ensure you are sitting together??

The PP said that she chose to leave the middle seat empty - not that it wasn't available. The only airline that I know of that doesn't allow you to choose the middle seat is one side (left?) on AirTran since they sometimes change to planes without that middle seat. Otherwise, choosing the middle seat is always an option - just one that the PP choose not to take. In her words, to try to get extra space.

So, it is the OP that separated herself from her child. Even if they are flying AirTran, she could have chosen window/middle or aisle/middle on the other side of the plane.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

What you're hoping for is a little trouble. Don't be upset when the individual who is unfortunate enough to be assigned the seat between you two refuses to budge or decides he/she wants the window, instead.


EVERYONE hopes for more room. Unfortunately for you, the airlines cut their seat miles yesterday. The days of 1/4 empty planes are over. The only way you can guarantee yourself more room is to lose weight.

I choose our seats this way for the returning flight. I was hoping for a little more space

Hopefully they won't separate a single mom & her 5yo daughter
We'll just move to the window.

 

[tjmw2727]

When the seats are 3-across, do you book the aisle and window, in hopes that no one will book the center seat? So if it's not a full plane, you might end up with a row of three seats for the two of you? Is this risky? If someone shows up for that middle seat, and you offer them the choice of window or aisle, have you ever had anyone decline the offer, and sit in between you?

I'm an infrequent flyer (can ya tell?)

Short answer, No! I book the best seats available at the time, seats I am willing/wanting to sit in.

Then I wait and hope that when there are equipment changes and slight time changes that the computer doesen't scramble our assignment.

 

[Tara]

Don't have a plan...
but DD whining to be near me all flight long shoud be sufficient for the narrow-minded.

You'd be surprised how well people can sleep through or ignore whining. You'd also be surprised how poorly threats of bad behavior/crying will get you what you want. Remember that if you book a window and aisle seat, that's your choice - you shouldn't feel entitled to any seat other than your own. It would surely be a rarity for someone to NOT want to move from a middle to an aisle or window, of course, but it could still happen and the passenger would be well within her or his rights.

My advice is to book seats together and then if the flight isn't full, maybe you'll be lucky and have no one else on your row. That's HIGHLY unlikely given the way airlines have reduced the number of planes flying so that the ones in service are as full as possible.

 

[uva185]

Don't have a plan...
but DD whining to be near me all flight long shoud be sufficient for the narrow-minded.

Ha! You would be surprised how well an iPod and Noise Canceling Headphones would take care of that problem.

Threats don't work when trying to get people to switch seats, they actually have the reverse effect.

 

[bavaria]

Thanks for you comments, we'll see how it goes.

english is not my first language so I may have used an expression in an inapropriate way

English is not my first (nor my second) language but I do believe that I understand this topic quite well.

Book the seat you want, don't play games, and don't expect other travellers to play the game with you. Simple.

 

[Lewisc]

You could wind up with a "customer of size" who is happy having a seat on each side to spill over.

Book the seats you want. Don't overthink.