Have you ever gotten on a flight only to find out you and your travel companion aren’t sitting anywhere near each other? It’s a brave new world of so-called preferred seats.
What’s happening is that most airlines now charge a premium for window and aisle seats that are closer to the front. Then anyone who isn’t paying extra, or books late, ends up having to sit in different rows. And yes, it’s even happened that parents have gotten separated from their very young children.
So how do you get around this? If there are no seats together when booking, at least try to secure window and aisle seats. That way when you try to swap with another passenger, you’re not bargaining with a middle seat.
A little politeness goes a long way—that includes the passengers you want to swap with and the flight attendant who can advocate for you. But don’t go into it with an attitude of entitlement.
And then there’s a little trick I learned from a friend. Before boarding, she bought her son three scoops of ice cream on one cone. When he sat down, everyone around him volunteered to give up their seat.
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