I Offer to Switch Plane Seats With Other Passengers When I Fly Solo

"Well, I guess I'll see you when we land," I heard from the row in front of me while boarding a recent flight.

A couple had ended up seated in separate rows, with one of them placed next to me. Not feeling particularly attached to my middle seat for the two-hour flight, I waved them down.

"I'm happy to switch if you two want to sit together," I said.

They looked surprised and thanked me profusely. I moved up one row to my fellow passenger's aisle seat — my preferred spot that I had been too cheap to pay extra to select when I booked the trip.

Plane-seat etiquette has become a hotly-debated topic on TikTok, but to me, it's not that deep. I usually don't mind switching seats, and sometimes, it even leads to a better spot.

With some airlines charging more for premium seats — or the ability to select your seat at all — I've scored an exit row because the flight crew needed more volunteers, or seats closer to the front of the plane because a family wanted to sit together.

I would probably decline to switch if I paid extra for an aisle seat and someone asked me to move to a middle or window, but so far, I haven't had to.

As reports of unruly airplane passengers have made headlines this summer, I've also found that offering to switch seats helps earn goodwill with other travelers. If the flight is relatively short and I'm traveling solo, it's really no big deal.

The couple I swapped places with continued to thank me throughout the flight, which I'd take over a passenger meltdown any day.

Read next