Family travel blogger, Jess Darrington, shared a viral airline seating hack on TikTok that involves booking an aisle seat and a window seat in a single row, hoping that the middle seat remains empty. Darrington shared this tip after successfully experiencing an entire row to herself and her family on an 11-hour flight from Amsterdam to Salt Lake City. She noted that while this hack sometimes works, it is not a guarantee, and families should be prepared for the middle seat to be booked.
Darrington explained that she first tried this hack when traveling with her husband and lap infant to Europe. They monitored the flight’s availability and saw that 50 seats were still open on the day of the flight, resulting in an empty middle seat for their row. She emphasized that families should be willing to take a chance on this tip and accept that they may not always be lucky to have the entire row to themselves.
While Darrington finds this seating trick beneficial for families, solo travelers have expressed frustration with the practice. Some solo flyers have shared negative experiences of being stuck in the middle seat between couples who attempt to secure extra space by leaving the seat open. Etiquette experts and travel creators have advised passengers to be considerate of others, especially on long flights, and to offer to switch seats with a solo traveler if they find themselves stuck in the middle.
Experts like Rosalinda Randall, an etiquette expert, suggest that passengers should consider their own needs while flying without infringing on others. Randall emphasized the importance of being respectful towards fellow passengers and not causing discomfort, such as talking over the person in the middle seat or disrupting their sleep. The rise in airplane passenger rage over minor inconveniences highlights the need for common courtesy while traveling.
Darrington and Randall shared tips for selecting airplane seats, such as trying the hack when booking near the back of the plane or traveling during less busy days. This helps increase the chances of success with the seating arrangement while being considerate of other passengers’ needs. Ultimately, Darrington advised families to be prepared for the possibility of the middle seat being booked and to approach the situation with a positive and respectful attitude towards fellow passengers. The key is to be considerate and to be willing to adjust plans if necessary.
