General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Airplane Etiquette [View all]discntnt_irny_srcsm
(18,475 posts)I understand couples and families would prefer sitting together but chances are you paid for your seat and spent time to acquire it. When you book and have a choice, book an aisle next to occupied middle seat. This gives you less of a chance of having this happen again.
My plan for flying:
- Don't fly on airlines that don't allow you to choose a seat. [There may be cases where no seats are available due to being reserved by the airline.]
- Always reserve an aisle seat. [It's annoying to climb over people to get to the lav or just stretch your legs.
- If you have a tight connection, (less than 60 minutes; less than 90 minutes in Dallas or SFO) always sit as close to the front as possible.
- Refuse middle seats on flights over 2 hours categorically.
- If traveling for an important personal event (part of the wedding party...) DO NOT expect to make it to an airport near an event the next day anytime before 7PM. To be wise, book a flight as close to 48 hours ahead as possible. I've seen one bridesmaid change into her gown before the plane landed and I've seen more than one miss the ceremony.
- Always join the airline's frequent flyer program when you fly.
- Always make sure your boarding pass shows your membership in the program. I've missed miles on Delta flights because of that.
I spent 2 years flying Philly to Atlanta almost every week. Before that Philly to LA every third week for over 6 years. Some of the discount airlines (Southwest) are better than others. Spirit, Frontier and most of the discounters nickel and dime you. You pay to pick a seat and bring a carry-on bag. I use seatguru to learn about seats on planes I'm not familiar with.
One of the most frequent flyers on DU (that I know of) is DFW. He's wise and very friendly. He flies a lot in Europe and often to the US. Asking the site-wide mind as you have here is never a bad idea especially if your planning a special trip.
You can often save money by booking to airports near your destination.