Travel Hack for Couples to Get a Full Row of Seats: Does It Work?

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? The short answer to the question in the headline is yes, but no. Before you try and virtually bash me with rotten tomatoes, let me explain—what I mean is that yes, the hack can work (and it has in the past!), but there are some instances in which it just does not.

I’m talking about the couples’ travel hack to snag an entire row of seats to themselves, a.k.a. one of the internet’s most famous travel tips. The trick is easiest and best applied under two circumstances: 1) you’re traveling with another person, and 2) you’re sitting on a three-seat row on the plane.

How to book the hack

Now, onto the logistics of the trick itself. In order for you to try and succeed in this clever move, you and your travel partner should try and book an aisle and a window seat respectively, leaving the middle seat empty. The thought behind it is that the probability that another traveler will want to sit in between two people is, in fact, low. Just picture yourself, as a solo traveler, in that situation: if you were scouting the plane map in search of your best seat option, you wouldn’t choose to sit in the middle seat of an already-occupied row, would you? Unless forced by external circumstances, that is.

So, does it work?

So how often does the couples seat hack actually work? One Reddit user recently proceeded to ask the question in the subreddit r/TravelHacks, and a slew of reasonable answers came in arguing that yes, the trick can work, but there are a few instances in which it physically won’t work. Hence my aforementioned “yes, but no” answer.

As many Redditors pointed out, if the flight is full, it is just impossible for the trick to work. The only times in which it can be successful are when the plane is not full, so the odds of someone being randomly assigned that seat are slimmer. However, that hasn’t really been the case lately, with travel being basically at all-time highs.

“It doesn’t,” replied one user. “Most flights these days are way overbooked with [lots] of people on standby. I flew at 4:30 am out of Atlanta and even at that [hour] the plane was full.”

Another Redditor shared their own experience, noting that at times, you can’t even predict if the plane is full or not up until the very last minute. “Just did back and forth to Rome from Toronto this past week,” they said. “Both times the plane was 100% full with lots of standby. That middle seat will look empty until about 24 hours before [the] flight then suddenly everything is full.”

If all else fails…

Unless you’re flying a not-so-popular route in a not-so-popular-season, your chances of succeeding with this particular viral trick seem to be pretty low due to busy, busy planes. However, there are other things you can do to try and fly more comfortably without breaking the bank. If you’re traveling with someone, one Redditor suggests booking two aisle seats across from each other—that way, you both have aisle access and neither of you is stuck in the middle seat, and you’re close enough that it still feels like flying next to each other.

Or alternatively, another hack that usually does work involves a similar thought process, but in a different configuration. “Here’s our hack, developed over several really long flights on a 3-3-3 row configuration,” reads the top comment in the thread. “Both of you reserve an aisle seat on the middle three-seat section, one directly in front of the other.”

And how would that help you, you ask? That’s simple. It counts on the other two seats next to you being occupied by other travel buddies. “The idea is that the remaining two seats of the middle section will be booked by people traveling together,” explains the comment. “When the person in the middle needs to get up, they will in all likelihood crawl over their traveling companion instead of you. Bonus if the middle seat remains empty.”

But if you’re flying on big planes, you might be able to get you and your travel buddy your own row without using tricks or paying extra money.

“On most of these big planes, at the back, are 2-3 rows of seats with only an aisle and window seat on either side,” notes one user. “Pick those.”