My seating dilemma: Win an @AmericanAir USB Card with Free Gogo Wifi Code

Congratulations to Shannon, she’s the randomly selected winner of Tuesday’s Reader Giveaway!  Yesterday I asked readers to name their favorite snack.   Shannon is a big fan (just like me) of Delta’s Biscoff cookies, “I love Delta’s cookies … could eat them for 8 hours straight” 

Screenshot from Random dot org

 

Reader Drawing: Win an American Airlines USB Card and Free Code for Gogo Wifi

The AA social media team was nice enough to give me five USB cards with free codes for Gogo Inflight Wifi.   I’ve given away four so far,  so this is the final drawing.

 

American Airlines USB Card

American Airlines USB Card

 

I’m traveling today.  Back when I booked my ticket, the exit rows were full so I selected a regular aisle seat.  My usual strategy is to get on the upgrade list and hope that I’ll either get moved to the front of the plane, or that I can snag an exit row seat (aisle or window) when exit row passengers (who usually  have elite status) get moved up to first class.  

This almost always works: I’ve been lucky enough to be seated on the exit row on every flight for the last couple of years.  But because of all the storms in Texas the last three days, flight were full (don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, one poor guy on my flight had been stranded in AUS for three days) So this morning when I went online to check my seating assignment, I was faced with having to choose a standard aisle seat or the middle seat on the exit row.  

Hmmm….I opted for the aisle (and got lucky because the middle seat on my row is empty) but it was a tough choice…..do I choose the extra legroom of the exit row and sacrifice elbow room or choose the aisle seat and give up the legroom.  

What would you do?  To enter today’s drawing, just leave a comment and share how you would have decided.  

Tomorrow morning, I’ll have a random drawing to pick a winner and will announce the results in Thursday’s post.  One entry per person. The deadline to enter is tonight, March 21, at 11:59PM Pacific.

Good luck!

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59 Comments

  1. Aisle seat because most of the time, people don’t take the middle seat, especially if its towards the back of the plane. so more than likely, it will be empty. This happens almost 75% of the time for me.

  2. I’d take my chances with the aisle seat. As long as I don’t have a recliner in front of me, elbow room is more important. A long flight that people are more likely to sleep on might make me change my mind.

  3. Aisle, especially on a long flight. Hate having to climb over people in order to get to the bathroom and also I like being in the aisle so as soon as the plane lands I’m not hunched over waiting forever for people to retrieve their carryons.

  4. Aisle… I like the feeling of freedom, and wouldn’t want to get spoiled by one magical trip in the exit row. 🙂

  5. Certainly the isle over a middle seat — it’s much easier to get up a stretch your legs whenever needed without having to disturb your seat neighbors.

  6. I would choose the window seat, because the view is better. Even if I’m on the wing, I enjoy looking back at the flaps when we’re landing. If the window wasn’t an option, I would probably select the aisle seat, as it has slightly more width than the middle seat.

  7. Aisle. I’m not that tall and am not a huge fan of the exit row in general. Sometimes it’s on a bulkhead and there’s nowhere to put my stuff. Sometimes the seat doesn’t recline. Sometimes the tray table is in the armrest, making for a narrower seat or a less comfortable armrest. Sometimes, there’s a bit more legroom, even if so, the tradeoffs are not usually worth it for me.

  8. Aisle, always take an aisle seat, never take a middle seat. It also depends on the time you have and your final destination — I’ve given up isle or window seats on the exit row just to make sure I’m closer to the door for when we deplane.

  9. This decision actually comes up a lot when I fly Southwest. The exit row aisle and window seats go quickly, but usually the middle seat stays free right through the B boarding passes (after 75-100 people have boarded, sometimes longer). I almost always opt for a non-exit window seat (prefer those to aisles, but the principle is the same) than the middle exit row because I don’t like getting squeezed by other people on both sides. The extra leg room is nice, but for some reason having extra space to the sides seems to matter more.

  10. Aisle seat, no brainer for me. Being a larger and taller man, I appreciate the extra legroom but have such a small personal item that I can deal without it. the Extra shoulder room, however, is something I can’t live without. Being able to put up the outside armrest and expand into the aisle (while having to be extra aware about the drink cart) is much more comfortable for me.

  11. I like window seats more than aisle, but in your case, I’d take the aisle over the middle exit row anytime . . .

  12. Aisle. Sometimes exit rows suffer from a shorter seat base than regular seats and I find this particularly uncomfortable.

  13. aisle as close to the front as possible (but not in front of the exit row so your seat does not recline!)

  14. Aisle seat. I just had this dilema and chose the middle. Ended up pretty unhappy. No more middle seat for me!

  15. Aisle, because you can stretch out at least one leg in the aisle itself if you keep your foot relatively close to the base of the chair in front of you (don’t want to trip an attendant!).

    Plus the aforementioned not having to climb over people to use the bathroom, etc.

  16. Depends on a few things:

    How long is flight? If LONG flight I’d most likely go for legroom in exit row

    How long is my layover? If short I’d take an aisle row as far forward as possible to get off the plane quickest

  17. For me any exit row seat trumps any standard seat. Extra legroom, no one reclining into me, and depending on who’s in the aisle I can get up without that person getting up.

  18. I’d go for the Aisle. In the middle, you could be stranded between two troublesome passengers. At least with the Aisle, you have one side free and clear.

  19. Leg room beats elbow room any time. You may or may not have a large person next to you, and s/he may lean the other direction, but that seat in front will never move farther away.

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