Don’t you just hate flying? From the annoying, silent fights in the empty space to tolerating the endless drone of the chatterbox sitting right beside you, your journey through the air can turn into an endless torture! Doubtlessly, the best flights are the ones when your next seat is empty!
Airplane Trick to Land an Empty Seat Next to Yours
Grabbing the perfect seat on a flight requires the use of some cool logic and neat strategy. Here’s how you will go on about it.
If you are travelling in a pair, the best way to ensure an empty seat next to yours is to book an aisle seat and a window seat in the same row. For those who are travelling alone, there are just a few options whereby you can increase the chances of sitting right next to a gloriously empty seat. The aisle seats in the back are always a safe bet because many people hate climbing over the other passengers. Travel Codex shared some intelligent strategies to improve your chances of getting lucky:
“[Many customers don’t pick seats ahead of time.] If those passengers wait until they check-in, the gate agent might select a seat for them. The gate agent will make some effort to space out passengers, but when things get full, they generally move from front to back. If you are worried about a flight selling out and losing the empty seat next to you, sit in the back because that seat will stay empty longer than any of the others.”
The guide also favours cabin configuration of 2-3-2 or 2-4-2 seats rather than the 3-3-3 arrangement given the fewer number of middle seats in each row. If the centre section is your only option, go for the row that will leave just one empty seat next to you.
As you wait around in the airport lounge, keep an eye on the seating chart using the smartphone app of your preferred airline. If the seats around yours have filled up already, use the app to switch to another position. The app trick works even as you enter the gate to board the aeroplane. Daraius Dubash shared his success stories using this technique on the Million Mile Secrets.
If your airline does not allow you to switch seats after the check-in, ask the employees at the departure gate for a switch, consulting the smartphone app. If the flight is full or the arrangement is changed at the last minute, all your efforts may have gone to nothing. But it’s always worth a try, isn’t it?
