The Boy and I just booked tickets for an upcoming trip to see The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird and our only options are center seats in the middle of the airplane or an aisle seat next to the toilets. I loath the center seat as well as the back of the plane {it’s so noisy!} and I’m not sure I could handle having people stand next to me {let alone the aroma of the toilets} for several hours.
The way I see it we will be mentally tortured either way.
What should I do?
Which seats would you select if these were your only options?
~Mavis
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Beks says
I’d just suck it up. I usually fly through Southwest because I honestly don’t care where I sit. Do I prefer more legroom? Always. I’m 5’9″. But sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.
Laura says
Well, that is easy for me. I would suck it up and sit in the back. Cannot do a middle seat. Get both aisles and you can talk to each other across the aisle. They normally don’t let people line up in the aisle anyway so you shouldn’t have that problem. It will be noisy, but that is why you wear headphones to drown that out!
athena says
Do the middle seats and check closer to the flight, sometimes they have people cancel etc… and you can change your seats then. We’ve done that a few times to get better seats. Even if you can’t change them I’m sure you will survive a few hours in less than desirable seats!
Melissa says
Well Either spot is safe because of your location to the exits. However the seats at the back might be the best bet! http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/asiana-airlines-crash-survive-plane-crash/story?id=19599159
Heather says
I would take the aisle seat, ear buds and Vick’s in my nose. I went to Portland last fall and the flight was horrible, delays, etc. But being somewhere different in the morning was worth it.
Veronica Vatter says
Ad soon as you get to the airport see if there are any upgrades available. Or call the airline to see what they can do. All they can say is no! Give it a try and see if that helps 🙂
Nancy D says
Is there a game that you and your son can invent for the seats near the bathroom to make the time pass more quickly? Like trying to guess how many people will use the bathroom during the flight, males vs females, what age will use it most, or other categories. Whoever wins a category has to buy the other a beverage or give a neck rub after the trip. Or like others have suggested go early and try for a seat change. Have fun!
Monica says
I would go to the back. That is where I usually sit and it really isn’t that bad (smell and noise). To me it’s way better than sitting in the middle.
AK says
When you check in 24 hours before your flight, you may be able to get better seats at no extra cost. Fingers crossed!
Mariska says
I would go for the center seats. One nightmare flight in the very back right where the toilets are have convinved me that I would NEVER do that again. For 4 hours we had people right next to our seats, and yes, the whiffs.
And I agree with who wrote to keep checking, and go to the airport early and be VERY friendly to whoever sits at the desk there, who knows…
Debbie N says
First, I would get your tickets before they are all gone. Neither will be the greatest but I would probably sit in the back in the middle and window seats so that you were sitting together. There will be people standing there at times waiting for the bathroom so I would not pick the isle in the back.
Mary Olson says
Are you flying Alaska? I always check-in on-line and you have the option to change seats at that point. Sometimes more seats will be available that don’t show up the day you book. Have fun!
James says
The best option I see is for the two of you to take up both aisle seats in the back of the plane. Then neither of you have the middle seat to contend with!
Carla says
Middle seats!!
Jennifer says
Aisle seats in back – you never know with middle seats who your seatmates will be, odor could be worse than bathrooms. Also that way at least you & The Boy could sit together.
Pam says
Bathroom seats. Headphones will take care of the noise and the smell is something you get anywhere in the plane (think unwashed passengers…..gag!). I find middle seats on airplanes to be a special brand of torture. I’ve never had a middle seat ticket that didn’t come with an obese, talkative or aromatic passenger on one side or the other. And the feeling of being trapped sucks.
Mavis says
Thanks everybody for your advice! It makes me feel better that you are all split. If I could pick my seat mates in the middle, this would be a no-brainer, but for some reason, I always get someone next to me who smells like all he eats is bologna. It’s weird.
Katie W says
I would go with the center seats and hope no one sits next to me! I hate being in the back of the plane because it takes forever to get off.
Raymond Dean White says
Go with the center seats over the wings and you will have a smoother flight and be closer to an emergency exit. Yeah, center seats are cramped but they are safer, less noisy and give you a more comfortable ride.
Marcia says
How long is the flight?
Less than 2.5 hours, toilets
More than 2.5 hours, center seats over the wing
Brianna says
I would take the back seats by the bathroom and once they turn the seatbelt sign off “go” to the bathroom, flip the lever on the door as you exit for the occupied sign. It will keep the bathroom “occupied” during your flight and nobody will really try to go back there and use it. I use to work for the airlines and if the bathroom wasn’t up to standard, we would flip the switch gently on the door until we got to a destination that could do a lav service. Passengers wouldn’t use it because it was “occupied.” Everybody will get off the plane quickly when you arrive at your destination so they can run to the bathroom. It keeps people in their seats and butts out of your face while they wait in line:)
AreYouKiddingMe? says
What about the poor soul (adult or child) who physically cannot “hold” it for the duration of the flight? Yes, there are diapers of all sizes available, but forcing someone to just “sit in it” because you don’t want the inconvenience of people using the bathroom next to you is beyond rude. If the bathroom is out of order that is one thing, but this suggestion is beyond my comprehension.
Monika says
We have three children, so there are five of us when we fly, and we like to sit together. EVERY TIME we get seated in the last row, next to the smelly bathrooms. Then I get the worst motion sickness because I can see the nose of the plane go ’round and ’round. You know how smells bother you the most when you’re feeling dizzy? Yeah, go for the center of the plane.
Renee says
Have you heard of http://www.expertflyer.com? You can sign up to be notified when seats open up on a particular flight.
Have a great trip!
Denise says
Sit in the back and bring noise cancelling headphones. Just flew and was in middle on one flight, back window on others. The window was so much better than the middle! Even though i was constantly surprised by the number of people who can’t just “hold it” for a little while.
Sara says
I routinely (possibly without exception, but I haven’t paid too close attention) find the row immediately behind an exit row has noticeably reduced legroom. That coupled with a middle seat sounds like a special airline-specific tenth circle of hell. I’d opt for the back and good headphones, or $14.99 one-trip earbuds in case you’re like me and forget your fancies at home. Good music makes me oblivious to the world around me.
Jeanie says
what weirdo picked the middle seat in that back row? Looks like seat E?
I would pick window and aisle on the other side. I have sat by bathrooms many times and on a cross country flight they really don’t stink. They only get really stinky internationally.
jestjack says
What a timely blog topic. How about some advice on lower air fare… Hoping for our DD2 to come home for Xmas from out West. Tickets are TRIPLE in December than what they are in January. Would appreciate any advice/tips…..
Mavis says
I wrote a whole post on My Favorite Tips for Booking Cheap Flights. Hope that helps a little!
Julie Gosnell says
FYI…Statistically the back of the plane is the safest. I always choose the back of the plane only because I have a screaming toddler though 😀
Leslie says
I try to sit towards the front (I looove bulk head seats!). I fly Southwest almost exclusively. Flying solo on other airlines, I’ve had some luck asking the gate agent if there was an available seat near the front that I could be moved to.
Bj says
I sat in the back seat next to potty and one thing you dont realize about that seat is it sits upright and does not tilt back..a real pain. Choose that middle seat..at least you can put your seat back