Controversial hack allows plane passengers to get whole row to themselves
It’s the poor person’s first class.
A flyer has caused a firestorm of controversy online after describing a controversial hack that allows passengers to get a whole row to themselves. They detailed this sky-high shortcut in a Reddit post taking off online.
The Redditor said they learned of the hack when trying to find optimal seating options on a flight to Venice from the US. As they couldn’t afford premium upgrades, they wanted to find a comfortable arrangement sans breaking the bank.
That’s when they learned of a new hack in which a pair of traveling companions book a window and an aisle seat instead of the standard two seats together, thereby leaving the middle seat open.
“People keep telling me to do the ‘seat hack’ where you leave the middle seat open in hopes no one books it,” the Redditor wrote. “If you do this, how often does it work?”
In theory, this configuration reportedly disincentivizes solo flyers from reserving the middle seat — which is often viewed as the worst seat on the plane.
It also ostensibly deters other couples who want to sit together, thereby allowing the flyers to up their chances of landing three seats for the price of two.
Unfortunately, many armchair air travel experts had their doubts about the efficacy of this literal book-ending method.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” said one. “So many times I see middle seats open at check-in, never fails that the plane fills up.”
Another seconded, “Flights seem pretty full these days, I doubt it will work.”
Air employees also threw cold water on the theory.
“You’re rolling the dice,” declared one alleged “crew member.” “Flight loads this year are pretty large and most of my transatlantic flights have been about 68-80% full.”
They added, “All the basic economy and employee standby travel gets added in at the last minute and that’s usually where you lose your bet.”
One air travel expert offered an allegedly more effective seating hack that’s “worked every time.”
The catch is the traveler has to be on a long-haul flight that has three rows with a median-esque section in the middle.
“Both of you reserve an aisle seat on the middle 3 seat section, one directly in front of the other,” they explained. “The idea is that the remaining 2 seats of the middle section will be booked by people traveling together.”
The airplane whiz added, “When the person in the middle needs to get up, they will in all likelihood crawl over their traveling companion instead of you. Bonus if the middle seat remains empty.”
While this hack precludes the traveling duo from sitting together, they will be close enough and both have “direct aisle access.”
