Flying in a Middle Seat

Although cheaptravel deals, including cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, discount travel packages, and cheap vacation packages oftenmake travel affordable, getting stuck in a middle seat often is no fun.

Sometimes though, you have no choice. Planes are flying full these days and thus manypassengers inevitably end up in these seats. The average domestic flight has 50 unfortunate passengers stuck indreaded middle seats.

The following are suggestions from Smarter Travel how passengersin middle seats can arrive at their destinations with their sanity and comfortintact:

• Useyour tray table to take a nap. Roll yourjacket into a makeshift pillow. Neverplace your face directly on a tray table since they are known to be home toplenty of bacteria. If you did not bringa jacket, at least disinfect your tray table before placing you face on it.

• Sleepupright by packing the travel pillow that works best for your body. Some prefer a standard neck pillow whileothers like a shoulder wrapping Travelrest Pillow, and still others a jacketthat converts into a pillow. Blow uptravel pillows are usually preferred because of the limited space they take upin carry-on.

• Buyand bring noise canceling headphones to take your mind off of your limitedspace and block out distractions.

• Do notbe reluctant to claim your space when first sitting down. Make the armrests your own. Most people understand that the middlepassenger gets both armrests. Makecertain to claim both armrests early so that you do not have to deal with apassenger who does not follow this common courtesy.

• Fullyutilize your knee space. Consider usingthe Knee Defender to keep the passenger in front of you from leaning his orher seat backward. Alternatively,politely request this person from leaning back if you need this space.

• Keepingbusy is the best way for time to fly by. Watch a movie, read, or play a game.

• Packan in flight survival kit that includes an eye mask, electronics device such asa tablet, laptop or handheld game console, headphones, book, puzzle book, asweater or jacket, and snacks.

• Do notbe reluctant to ask to be reseated. Justbecause you were initially assigned a middle seat does not mean that a betterseat is necessarily unavailable. Ask atthe gate whether there are any available window or aisle seats. Be ready to ask again, if need be, about abetter seat location after you have boarded.

• Be smarterthe next time you travel by booking early and selecting your seat, whenpossible, during the booking process. When dealing with airlines that do not allow advanced seat selection,check in for your flight as early as possible, usually 24 hours prior todeparture.