This might be useless info to most of you but.....If the plane you are flying has a 3-3 configuration.Get to the airport early and ask if it is a full flight.If there are 2 of you flying ask for a window and aisle in the same row. Nobody flying alone ever asks for a middle seat. If the flight is not full you will usually have the three seats to yourself.If has worked for me the last 4 times I have done it.If the middle seat does get taken ask them to switch foir a window or aisle.An aircanada checkin agent told me to do this!
For us financially challenged it makes the flight more comfortable!!

This sounds like a great idea. A lot of airlines allow you to pick your seats online when you purchase the tickets and change them as much as you like until the flight.

germanpope said:this trick has been around for awhile --- but thanks for sharing
also --- the back of the plane is reserved last --- so your best bet is to assign your seats to the back --- there is a seat selection website that lists pitfalls on particular planes --- sorry can't remember link right nowPerhaps this one?

ivi555 said:kennyg1966 said:This might be useless info to most of you but.....If the plane you are flying has a 3-3 configuration.Get to the airport early and ask if it is a full flight.If there are 2 of you flying ask for a window and aisle in the same row. Nobody flying alone ever asks for a middle seat. If the flight is not full you will usually have the three seats to yourself.If has worked for me the last 4 times I have done it.If the middle seat does get taken ask them to switch foir a window or aisle.An aircanada checkin agent told me to do this!
For us financially challenged it makes the flight more comfortable!!I used this trick few times (was booking seats online) and sometimes it does work very well (3 seats for the price of 2 ).
Although on one airline (do not remember which one) I could not put 2 ppl in the same row in window and isle seats, had to reserve seats next to each other (I think it was spirit airlines)You could by booking the tickets separately.

Thanks for sharing. I have used this on long haul flights with 2-5-2 configuration. Booked seats D,F,H in the middle row for three ppl and the other two were not occupied.

my pleasure!
usmcwifey said:I LOVE this idea/trick! Thanks for the helpful info OP!

There's always someone in my family flying here or there, visiting, so this is a great way for us to try and 'work' the system. Plus, Big Daddy is exactly that- a "BIG" Daddy and he needs a little more room than most (usually asks for the exit row) so this could come in handy on our next flight.

gosh, i love fatwallet and all these tips/tricks!! thanks everyone!
>^_^<

stanners said:sorry for being slow, yes, im challenged both financially and mentally.

so if you get a middle seat, youre basically trying to hog it so alone flyers?

so this would only work on a semi-empty flight right?

if the flight fills up and someone is in the seat between you ... that is simple, you offer that person the aisle and switch one of your seats with them

For those of you flying "cattle-car" airlines on non-full flights -- pick your aisle seat as soon as you get on the plane. Look scared, and open the barf bag very wide and place it squarely in your lap. My little brother says he rarely has anyone sit next to him.

kennyg1966 said:I wish I could have done this on Cathay Pacific on a 16 hr. flight...from HongKong To Toronto. I think they configure these planes for the slightly smaller Asian population.It was a completely full flight.Pure torture !!

The trick wont work if it's a full flight and backfires when you could've had a 2 seat window ab seat versus middle 4/5 seater. That was the point emphasized by ajwray, as flights these days are being consolidated to pack everyone in tighter. Airlines have found that packed flights, no food service, and very grumpy flight attendants are a brilliant way to profitability.

Heh. My travel agent did this trick for us on our honeymoon flight to Europe. But when we got to the ticket counter, the agent there told us that our agent must have made a mistake on the seats. She said she fixed it for us....