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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

flight seats

103 replies

msjrmesq · 13/10/2019 17:25

WIBU to book an aisle seat and a window seat on a long haul flight because one of us prefers the window seat and one of us prefers the aisle? We're hoping that (as we know the flight is often not full) that the airline will then avoid putting somebody in the middle of us.

If somebody does end up in the middle then we wouldn't expect them to swap seats, we'd just put up with it.

OP posts:
Zebraaa · 14/10/2019 10:43

Happened to me. Full flight and I was sat in the middle, of what became apparent, a couple. VERY uncomfortable and rude them talking over my head the whole time. Really shit flight for me.

MarthasGinYard · 14/10/2019 10:45

'However if someone turns up in the middle seat I would offer them either aisle or window so that we could chat and presumable our travelling companion would prefer that to sitting in the middle.'

Yes Frazzled that's fine and polite.

But the Op states their intention is to stay put.

Pythonesque · 14/10/2019 11:26

I agree with the person who wondered about the flights being underbooked. My experience of long-haul flights especially on the Asian routes is that with all the code shares they are generally very fully booked. I've just flown UK-Australia return, unusually via US, and 3 out of the 4 legs were lightly booked and I had a free middle seat next to me - it was striking because I couldn't remember the last time I'd been on a flight like that. I'm largely putting it down to it being during school term time.

Mephisto · 14/10/2019 11:29

I flew from LHR via Emirates a few weeks ago and had a stopover in Dubai. The flight was no where near full, I had a row of 3 seats to myself and stretched out and slept the whole way.

drspouse · 14/10/2019 11:36

I fly long haul for work a fair bit and where a flight is scheduled every week day or certain week days it will be full some weeks (near holidays) and not others.
If you do this OP you MUST offer the middle person their choice of aisle or window.

Miaowing · 14/10/2019 11:36

To be honest, sometimes me and DH book our window/aisle seats several rows apart.

Probably if we are on the same row we might have the occasional convo but he does his thing and I do mine.

Its at most 4.5 hours in economy (canaries is the furthest we do and then only because its only low cost airlines) - if its over that we fly business.

Miaowing · 14/10/2019 11:36

P.S. If we are on the same row - not a chance in hell the middle person is getting offered.

I want my aisle seat
He wants his window

We book early because of it.

MarthasGinYard · 14/10/2019 11:39

'To be honest, sometimes me and DH book our window/aisle seats several rows apart.'

Stick to this then perhaps

devonemumof1 · 14/10/2019 11:45

Just book them! Tough if someone does end up between you, they chose the middle seat and whether they're sat between two strangers or two people who know each other, you may end up chatting/passing something along the row, what if two friends happened to be on the same flight and sat like that? People need to toughen up, being sat in the middle of a couple is not the worst thing to happen!

BadLad · 14/10/2019 12:03

This would never happen in first class.

(clutches pearls)

Mephisto · 14/10/2019 12:31

It's rude to talk over someone's head constantly and I would have no problems saying so.

Movinghouseatlast · 14/10/2019 12:39

Knitting on a flight! How unbelievably selfish.

Miaowing · 14/10/2019 12:56

Why is knitting selfish? I'm on an aisle seat so it doesnt bother anyone?

Look around, you might see more than one knitter - I usually find 2 or 3

Babynamechangerr · 14/10/2019 13:09

Sorry but I think this is very rude. If I was in the middle seat, the minute it became apparent that you knew each other I'd feel very uncomfortable and be saying to them, oh do you want to sit together etc. I'd feel like the gooseberry and would be annoyed I'd been put in that position through no fault of my own.

If you'd actually prefer window aisle seats over actually sitting together (weird that you'd prioritise this but whatever) then do what a pp suggested and sit in a different row to each other so you don't make people feel awkward.

I don't think airlines should allow this tbh.

Roussette · 14/10/2019 13:11

Why? Would it be less "unfair" if the people in the outside seats are single travellers?

Far less unfair. Because as much as the OP says she doesn't talk to her DH, within seconds I'd know they were together and think 'Oh, great' and feel obliged to suggest they sit together. That's why.

If we are on the same row - not a chance in hell the middle person is getting offered

That's fine if you don't decide to have a conversation over my head or start passing the bits of your meal you don't want to your DH

Miaowing · 14/10/2019 13:25

@Rousette

That's fine if you don't decide to have a conversation over my head or start passing the bits of your meal you don't want to your DH

But if we did, not much you could do about it and if you complained I'd probably tell you to put your headphones in and ignore it or suck it up.

blackteasplease · 14/10/2019 13:28

mioawing that is a horrible attitude.

Stick to being several rows apart.

Roussette · 14/10/2019 13:28

Miaowing

You're a charmer, aren't you?

Personally I would never deliberately put someone in an awkward position but unfortunately there are a lot of entitled people in this world who don't think of how their fellow human being might feel in a situation as long as they get what they want.

Miaowing · 14/10/2019 13:31

I can’t get worked up over it.

Flying is not a human right – its always optional. If you feel so strongly, pay to choose your seat and choose one that doesn’t put you in that position.

Roussette · 14/10/2019 13:37

No, you can't get worked up over it, because you're getting exactly what you want and sod anyone else.

There may not have been a choice of seat.

As for flying not being a human right and it being optional. It might be a tad tricky to get to some places without flying. You don't know why that one person needs to be on that flight.

HoldMyLobster · 14/10/2019 13:42

We do this fairly regularly - usually in the same row because we go for the exit row which has more legroom.

We don't talk to each other. DH sticks his headphones on, sleeps for up to an hour, then works. I watch films, listen to music, or work.

The last trip we did was 4 separate legs, and on 2 of them the seat between us was left empty - as it's the exit row, which costs more, it's often the last seat to fill up.

SuperSara · 14/10/2019 14:11

@msjrmesq

our seats are in the premium section...

If you mean premium economy, on SQ all layouts I know of (a350, a380, 777, 787) are 2/4/2 so you'll automatically get an aisle and a window seat with no on between you if you go for A+C or H+K.

If you can get the front row in the PE cabin it's very good for legroom. It does cost even more for that row, though.

ConFusion360 · 14/10/2019 14:19

If you mean premium economy

You can pay extra to book bog standard economy seats closer to the front of the plane than the back,

nononever · 14/10/2019 15:42

Look around, you might see more than one knitter - I usually find 2 or 3

In all our years of flying and wandering aimlessly up and down cabin aisles, I have yet to see anyone knitting.

Roussette · 14/10/2019 15:51

In all our years of flying and wandering aimlessly up and down cabin aisles, I have yet to see anyone knitting

Ditto

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