10 ms·
My two tips for how to keep the adjacent seat empty on normal flights: 1. If you book when there are still many empty seats, choose a window/aisle seat near th
by tuna-piano 9y ago
My two tips for how to keep the adjacent seat empty on normal flights:
1. If you book when there are still many empty seats, choose a window/aisle seat near the back of the plane. Those middle seats are usually the last to be filled.
2. If you're traveling in a group of 2 and there are 3 seats per section, choose the window and aisle of an empty section (preferably near the back of the plane). Chances are good that if there are any empty seats left on the plane, it could be your middle seat. If someone does happen to book that middle seat, I think 99.99% of the time that person would be happy to change to the aisle/window so you can sit next to your partner.
- ryanmarsh 9y agoInternational flights are usually undersold. I pick the middle seat. People will just opt for another row with a window or isle open and the middle seat open so they can have some space. I often end up with a row to myself.
- johansch 9y agoReally? What kind of international flights (src/dst/airline) have you seen being undersold the last five years or so? (I have seen so many flights that have been kinda the opposite. It was markedly different back in like 2008-2013.)
- tastybberries 9y agoIn mid-late April this year, I flew with Delta from Minneapolis to Tokyo Haneda and the flight was around 70% full in Economy - I was the only one in my row, and the row ahead was empty (by row I mean a set of three seats; I don't know the phrase for that). The way back was pretty full though (middle of Golden Week for Japan). I must have been pretty lucky for the trip there!
- nolok 9y agoNot parent, but Oman Air Paris to Muscat leg has been ~50% full at the most the last 3 times I took it. They're a top notch airline, flying Boeing 787, and their Muscat to final destination leg has always been full (same as the Muscat to Paris return flight), so I can't figure out why other than "I've been lucky" when the likes of Emirates/Etihad/Qatar Airways/... are full as can be. Picture from my mid-May flight after closed doors: http://imgur.com/a/8ikMP http://imgur.com/a/8ikMP
- foota 9y agoI just did Bangkok to Muscat on Oman and the fight was amazingly empty. We were on a 787 and I'd guess we had about a third to half the seats booked.
- nolok 9y agoCombined with their decently low price, recent fleet and good services, they're really becoming one of my favorite airlines for EU->Asia. Now if only muscat airport could be a bit better ...
- uhhfcuvv 9y agoYou do realise they won't be around for much longer if their flights are half-empty?
- FireBeyond 9y agoGiven that it's owned by the Government of Oman, which is in charge of a "high income economy", it's probably pretty safe.
- jlg23 9y agoLast two years: AT: CMN <-> BER, CMN <-> FRA HV: AGA <-> AMS KL: AMS -> CUR AR: EZE -> MAD I prefer to fly Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and unless it's some holiday coming up at the destination I usually have the whole row for myself.
- optimuspaul 9y agoI don't think it is necessarily that they are undersold, although I am sure many are, but the rate at which people change or cancel flights is quite high and international flights are harder to oversell for various reasons.
- ryanmarsh 9y agoLHR <-> IAD IAH <-> LHR IAH <-> DXB DXB <-> PER
- lathiat 9y agoI flew DXB-PER return about 5 times in the last 12 months and only once did I get it undersold. And I have no idea why that happened. Wish I remember which trip it was now, have to see if I can find a photo of me laying down across 4 seats!
- sspiff 9y agoI've been on two Moscow-Tokyo flights (Aeroflot) that were less than one third full. I've been on a couple of intercontinental flights using Etihad, Swissair, Lufthanza and British Airways between Europe and Asia, most of which were not fully filled for the long legs between major hubs. I've also seen a few full flights, so I guess it depends on luck and the seasons.
- robjan 9y agoIndustry standard is to overbook economy by about 110% (there's a whole department dedicated to calculating this figure) and sometimes business class too.
- lathiat 9y agoVery much not "usual", possibly more likely for some sectors and times. But flying ex-PER (and sometimes MEL, SYD) on Qantas (QF), Emirates (EK) and Cathay Pacific (CX) I rarely get flights with any more than a few empty middle seats.. and many times completely full including the flights on from their respective hubs to all sorts of US, European and Asian locations. Including mid week flights. I did once get a super empty flight DXB-PER for some reason, it was mid week but I've never had that since, no idea why that one was so empty unless it was because it was right as they started their dual A380 service [I don't remember if that was true]? That was glorious had 4 seats to myself to stretch out and slept most of it. great for a 10h flight [I made about 10 20+ hours trips last year] And SYD-DFW A380 on QF is weight limited so you get more empty middle seats there. Possibly true for some sectors and times of week or something but airlines are hotly contested and they're just not going to be profitable flying planes with loadings not approaching capacity.
- madcaptenor 9y agoI do the same thing of getting a window and aisle in the back when booking seats for two. I've never had trouble trading. I think there are some people who might prefer middle to window (you'd rather climb over one person than two if you have to use the bathroom) but nobody prefers middle to both aisle and window.
- clarkm 9y agoLikewise, whenever I book a last-minute flight with only middle seats available, I make sure to ask the agent to place me between two passengers with the same last name.
- chrisseaton 9y agoWhy would two people in the same family book seats not next to each other?
- chris_va 9y agoOf course, the last time I did that I ended up between two people who did not want to move, yet still wanted to talk to each other the entire flight with me in the middle.
- tptacek 9y agoYou did this, and the agent agreed? What airline?
- praneshp 9y agoI used to do (2), before I did a recent India trip with my wife. I have been lucky all my life when it comes to having nice co-passengers, but this guy shattered my track record. He had the middle seat, and was willing to exchange it for the aisle (but not the window) seat. Among the things he did to me were wake me up every 30 mins on a 15 hr flight, drunkenly pour a drink on my pants and use my shirt as a napkin after a cutlery-less meal. YMMV (and I hope it does)!
- mikeash 9y agoThat's awful, but it doesn't seem related to this tactic. If you had booked two adjacent seats, he would have just ended up in the third, and you'd have the same problem.
- praneshp 9y agoCorrect. I think as part of being grateful for his willingness to exchange seats, I humored him for an hour or so, before starting to cut my losses.
- davnicwil 9y agoThat second one is genius, thank you! I was reading the first two sentences like 'ok, but what if...' then I got to the third and '...oh. Well played!'
- r0m4n0 9y agoI can’t help but share my slightly riskier plane seating hack as well... On any flight with assigned seating, wait until everyone has boarded. Wait until they call your name (or until you are the obvious last to board). Proceed to sit in any open seat within economy, with the most empty seats adjacent. Usually staff at the terminal desk will also tell you where the open seats are...
- ssambros 9y agoDon't forget to check in your carry-on while you are at it, since all overhead bins are already filled by the time 70% of the passengers are boarded.
- bonzini 9y agoI often check in my bag anyway if I have a long flight and a layover long enough that I can have lunch at my connection airport. I only bring a light backpack that can fit under the seat in front of me.
- robotresearcher 9y agoStick it in business class overhead bin on your way through.
- kalleboo 9y agoWell if you do find an adjacent empty seat you can just pop your bag under the seat in front of it.
- mannykannot 9y ago3. Resist the urge to boast about your most effective techniques in public.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- cynix 9y agoI usually only fly on planes with 2-seat side rows when travelling in a group of 2.
- Urbanxassassin 9y agoThis is all well and good, but standbys usually fill any seats that are left.