3 Unspoken Rules for the Middle Seat in an Airplane

Traveling this year and need to jump on a flight? We’ve been there multiple times, and we get that it can be a little scary.

One of the things that can make flying easier is getting to choose where you’d like to sit. However, on some airlines, that costs extra, and if you’re flying on a budget, you might choose to forgo that. All that to say, if you end up getting a middle seat, there’s nothing to stress over — yes, it can sometimes be a little uncomfortable, but here are a few unspoken rules to keep in mind to make things easier for everyone.

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The Armrests

One of the longest-standing debates when it comes to airplane etiquette has been about what armrests the middle seat gets. The aisle seat has its own armrest on the side, and the window seat has the benefit of a window, but no one gets both armrests.

Yes, that’s correct. While many of our team think it’s only fair that the middle seat gets both the inside armrests as they are in the middle seat, not everyone in the world agrees to that. So, to avoid any awkwardness, we recommend using whatever armrest isn’t being used. If they’re both unused…well, pick one unless you want to stake your claim and dare anyone to argue with you (most probably won’t).

Download Your Own Movies/Shows/Books

Here’s the thing — when you’re in the middle seat, you’ve got two people VERY close to you. We strongly suggest making sure you have your own entertainment downloaded on your phone or you choose your own movie/show to watch on the in-flight entertainment screen. Why? Because if not, you’ll be watching your neighbors the whole time.

Have you ever been on a plane and realized the person next to you is watching your screen when they have theirs working perfectly well right in front of them? There’s really nothing you can do about it, and there’s no problem, per se, but it is…a little awkward. So make sure you choose your own entertainment so you’re not peering over anyone’s shoulder and just hoping they have subtitles on.

Bring A Neck Pillow

Even if you’re not sure if you’ll be in a middle seat, bringing a neck pillow is very important. If you DO end up in a middle seat, a neck pillow like the trtl Travel Pillow will keep you from accidentally leaning on your neighbors in your sleep.

Quincy has tried this one out herself and really enjoyed it! It doesn’t look like a conventional neck pillow, but don’t let the look fool you. It really does support your head, is less cumbersome than others, and is actually MORE comfortable than others we’ve used!

Grab it here!

We’ll keep you updated on all the latest flight and travel news this year to keep you up-to-date, so stay tuned to AllEars!