The Best Place to Sit on the Bus If You Are Hoping for a Seat Next to You
Consider yourself lucky if the plane takes off and there is an empty seat next to you that you don’t have to deal with strangers. Travel Codex offers several strategies to increase your chances of getting lucky.
The “Rules” are for seating on a bus on an international flight, but may also apply to domestic flights. For example, even if there are many free seats available when choosing a seat, the plane may still be full by the time of departure. You have a better chance of no one sitting next to you if you choose a seat in the back (especially the aisle seat, since many people don’t like to climb over strangers on a plane):
[Many customers do not select seats in advance.] If these passengers wait until check-in, the agent at the gate may select a seat for them. The gate agent will make some effort to move passengers away, but when things get full, they usually move from front to back. If you are worried about a ticket sale and losing a seat next to you, sit in the back because that seat will stay empty longer than any other seat.
The article also recommends looking for a cabin configuration with 2-3-2 or 2-4-2 seats, if possible, rather than 3-3-3 because there are fewer middle seats in each row. If you have no other options other than the center section, choose a seat that only leaves one free seat next to you, rather than a lot of empty seats, as people are more likely to try to sit elsewhere.
None of these tips guarantee you will have free space next to you, but they are worth trying if you want to minimize the impact of rude or chatty seatmates .
How to choose a seat on the bus for international travel “wiki useful Travel Code