Mom’s viral airplane seating hack stirs debate; solo flyers ‘can’t stand’ it
A family travel blogger has revealed her secret to getting an entire row on a flight, but solo flyers appear to be opposed.
Jess Darrington, the Idaho-based creator of Where is Briggs?, which specializes in travel tips for parents with kids under 4, shared a now-viral seating hack on TikTok that has attracted more than 8.1 million views.
Before sharing the airline seating tip, Darrington prefaced the video by saying this “sometimes” works.
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Darrington said you can select an aisle seat and a window seat in a single row, leaving the middle seat open, hoping that no one books the middle seat.
Jess Darrington, a family travel blogger from Idaho, has gone viral for sharing an airplane seating hack that seems to irritate some solo travelers. (Jess Darrington/@where.is.briggs)
In the viral video, which is posted under Darrington’s handle, @where.is.briggs, her family ended up booking four seats split between two rows, and no one booked the middle seat, which meant they had the entire two rows of their 11-hour flight from Amsterdam to Salt Lake City all to themselves.
Darrington said she has tried this hack a few times over the years and experienced different results.
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“The first time that we tried it out was when I just had one kid, and he was a lap infant at the time. So, it was my husband, myself and the lap infant, and we were all flying to Europe. And when I was booking tickets, the flight was empty, like there [was] nobody on,” Darrington said.
Darrington said a flyer can purchase an aisle and a window seat on an airplane to leave the middle open in hopes no one books it, which would leave the two flyers an entire row. (Jess Darrington/@where.is.briggs)
“So, I thought, ‘I wonder if I put myself and the lap infant in the window and then my husband in the aisle seat … if that middle seat will just be left open.’”
Darrington and her husband kept checking the airline map to see if the seats were filling up. They then learned 50 seats were still open, and by the time they boarded the plane, they were able to enjoy the entire row.
“I kind of gambled a little bit. But when we got on the flight, that middle seat was empty, and it was so nice because we had a little bit of wiggle room,” she said.
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Darrington said that while the hack is helpful when it works, it does not always go according to plan.
“If you’re willing to gamble a little bit, and if you’re checking your odds to see how many seats are still currently open on the flight up until the day of, you might just get lucky like we have a couple of times.”
“Families need to understand this is not a guarantee. If you want a for-sure seat for your baby on the flight, you’ve got to purchase them one,” she said.
Darrington said if someone does end up booking the middle seat, you need to accept that you didn’t get lucky this time and be a respectful fellow passenger.
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“I also think, like, as a traveling family, you also can’t be mad or annoyed if that middle seat gets filled because that’s just what can happen. But if you’re willing to gamble a little bit, and if you’re checking your odds to see how many seats are still currently open on the flight up until the day of, you might just get lucky like we have a couple of times.”
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An Idaho mother’s viral airplane seating hack on TikTok has created an online debate. Some families and solo travelers disagree with the trick and argue it’s “a gamble.” (Jess Darrington)
Darrington said she knows most people would say they do not enjoy sitting in the middle seat on a flight, let alone an international flight stuck between two strangers.
The best thing to do, she suggested, is to offer one of the two seats you have to the middle passenger so that they can get an “upgrade” and you can sit next to your travel buddy.
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“I have yet to meet anybody who’s frustrated that they no longer have a middle seat. You know what I mean?” she said.
“It’s so important to be considerate on travel days.”
Not everyone seems to appreciate Darrington’s airplane seating hack, particularly solo travelers who find themselves stuck in the middle seat.
“I honestly can’t stand when people do this and then expect me to move or switch seats,” one TikTok user commented on Darrington’s video.
“Here’s an idea. Just get seats next to each other,” another person wrote.
“I was on standby and got seated in the middle seat and the family was like mad at me??? I gladly moved so they can sit next to each other but why get mad at me?” one woman commented.
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Travel creator Meredith Pierce, @meredithonthemap, shared a video on TikTok in which she voiced her frustration about couples who try the trick.
“As a solo traveler, it’s pretty common to end up in situations where you’re sitting [among] couples and families on a long flight. Couples will even book the aisle and window seat of a row, hoping no one is assigned the middle. And when a solo traveler ends up in that middle seat, it throws them for a loop,” Pierce, a Georgia resident, said.
“In my opinion, the couple then has two options. One, to offer to switch seats with the solo traveler so they can then sit together, or two, to stick to their assigned seats.”
Darrington and her family of four were able to fly on an airplane with two entire rows to themselves. (Jess Darrington/@where.is.briggs)
Pierce said she experienced a flight that resulted in her getting stuck between a couple who kept talking to one another and passing snacks over her, leading to a “miserable” experience.
“If you choose to gamble on this ‘hack,’ you should be aware of the possibility that someone may sit in between you, and be ready to offer to switch or give that person the space and quiet they deserve. It’s so important to be considerate on travel days.”
Rosalinda Randall, a California-based etiquette expert, said selecting your airplane seats in hopes of “the perfect set-up” is similar to “tossing a coin in a fountain and expecting the wish to come true.”
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“When I fly, I do my best to consider my needs within the confines of my itty-bitty space. What can I do to be somewhat comfortable without infringing on others?” Randall told Fox News Digital.
Some solo flyers get annoyed with this hack because not all couples are willing to offer their seat in an effort to remain close to their travel companion. (iStock)
Randall said if the middle seat ends up taken, there are “commonsense courtesies” that fellow passengers need to abide by — like not holding conversations over the person in the middle or disrupting their sleep so you can talk.
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“Airplane passenger rage is becoming more common. Some of these incidents are over minor inconveniences,” Randall added.
This viral airline seat hack for families and couples has created a debate online among solo flyers who do not like getting stuck in the middle, literally. (Jess Darrington/@where.is.briggs)
Randall and Darrington shared tips that could be useful.
Both suggested trying out the hack if you’re booking near the back of the plane since those seats are not as ideal for solo travelers who may not want to wait long to get off of their aircraft.
They also suggested trying out this hack while traveling during less busy days.
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“Pick a route that’s not as popular for the season that you’re planning to visit,” Darrington said.
