Getting stuck in the middle seat on a plane ride is often annoying, but how about the armrests that you see on both sides of your seat? Who gets them, you or your neighbors? This is one of the biggest travel etiquette questions and we’re bringing you an answer today.
While the aisle and window seats come with their own pros and cons, no one likes to be stuck in the middle seat. The only possible pro of sitting in the middle is having two armrests — but should people on the window seat and the aisle seat really give them up?
As Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, told Reader’s Digest Canada, “when sitting three across on a plane, the person in the middle has dominion over both armrests.” He explained that “the person on the aisle has the benefit of being able to move freely and has stretching room into the aisle,” while the person sitting by the window can lean against it or look at the view. The person sitting in the middle can’t move or stretch easily, nor have a place to lean on. Therefore, they should get both armrests, argues Smith.
