A Flight Attendant Shares the Unwritten Rules for Claiming an Empty Middle Seat on a Plane

"An empty middle seat in your airplane row is a gift, especially when the hustle and bustle of the airport can make you feel like you're inside a pinball machine. When the cabin crew finally announces those magic words-"boarding complete"-and the seat next to you is left unfilled, you know you won't be bumping elbows with a stranger for the duration of your flight."

"Plus, you now have bonus real estate: more underseat storage, extra leg room, additional tray table space, a spare seatback pocket, and even another seat to put some miscellany, like the airplane pillow or your jacket. Or, do you? Empty middle seat etiquette is a common thread on Reddit, with travelers speculating about what is fair when the space between you and another traveler is unoccupied."

"Seated by the window-with my fellow traveler in the aisle, both of us working on our laptops-I lowered the middle seat tray table when the beverage cart started rolling toward us. It's 50/50 when it comes to the extra space, I have always believed. We can both use the space for our drinks, right? However, my seatmate went a step further and politely asked whether it would be OK to place her drink there."

Empty middle seats provide extra underseat storage, legroom, tray table space, and an extra seat for belongings, creating valuable personal space during flights. Passengers often assume a free middle seat is theirs to use completely, but shared space requires consideration and clear communication. Lowering a tray table can imply partial claim, yet polite requests to share that surface demonstrate situational awareness and respect. Experienced travelers routinely ask before placing drinks or items in the middle space. Airline safety and passenger comfort both benefit when travelers treat bonus seat space as shared and confirm consent before expanding into it.

Read at Travel + Leisure