Mom’s viral airplane seating hack sparks debate

A family travel blogger has revealed the secret to seating passengers in an entire row on planes, but solo travellers are against it.

Jess Darrington, the Idaho-based creator of Where's Briggs?, which specializes in travel tips for parents with kids under 4, shared a viral seating hack on TikTok that has been viewed more than 8.1 million times.

First Airline seating tip sharing, Darington said at the beginning of the video that it works “sometimes.”

You can choose an aisle seat and a window seat in a row, leave the middle seat empty, and hope no one books the middle seat, Darrington said.

In the viral video, posted under Darington's handle @where.is.briggs, her family booked four seats divided across two rows, and no one booked the middle seat, which meant the entire two rows of the 11-hour flight from Amsterdam to Salt Lake City were for them.

Darrington said he has tried this method several times over the years and has seen varying results.

“The first time we tried it was when I only had one child and he was an infant at the time. So, me, my husband and the baby, we were all flying to Europe. And when I was booking the ticket, the flight was empty, like there [was] “There isn't any,” Darrington said.

“So, I thought, 'I wonder if I put myself and my lap baby in the window seat and then my husband in the aisle seat … would the middle seat be open?'”

Darrington and her husband kept checking the airline map to see if the seats were filling up. Then they discovered that 50 seats were still empty, and when they boarded the plane, they were able to enjoy the entire row.

“I took a bit of a gamble. But when we got on the flight, the middle seat was empty and it was great because we had some space,” he said.

Darrington said this hack is helpful when it works, but it doesn't always go as planned.

“Families need to understand that this is not a guarantee. If you want a seat for your child on the flight, you will have to purchase it,” he said.

Darrington said that if someone books a middle seat, you have to accept that you weren't lucky this time, and be a respectful passenger.

“I also think that, as a traveling family, you might as well not be angry or upset if the middle seat is full because it can happen. But if you're willing to take a little risk, and if you're checking your chances to see how many seats are still empty leading up to the day of the flight, you might get lucky like we have been a few times.”

Darrington said most people she knows would say they don’t like sitting in the middle seat on a plane, much less being stuck between two strangers on an international flight.

He suggested that the best thing to do would be to give up one of your two seats to the middle passenger, so they could get an “upgrade” and you could sit next to your travel companion.

“I haven't met anyone yet who is disappointed that they don't have a middle seat anymore. You know what I mean?” she said.

It appears that Darrington's airplane seating hack isn't appreciated by everyone, especially solo travelers who find themselves stuck in the middle seat.

“Honestly I can't stand when people do this and then expect me to switch my seat,” one TikTok user commented on Darington's video.

Another person wrote, “That's an idea. Just take seats next to each other.”

One woman commented, “I was on standby and sat in the middle seat and the family got angry at me??? I happily moved my seats so they could sit next to each other, but why are they getting angry at me?”

Travel creator Meredith Pierce, @meredithonthemap, shared a video on TikTok expressing her frustration about couples trying this trick.

“As a solo traveler, it’s very common to get stuck in situations where you’re sitting [among] Couples and families on long flights. Couples even book aisle and window seats in the row, hoping no one will be given a middle seat. And when a single traveler sits in that middle seat, they are surprised,” said Pierce, a Georgia resident.

,In my opinion, the couple has two options in such a case. One, offer to switch seats with the single traveler so they can sit together, or both of them should stay in their respective seats.”

Pierce revealed that during the flight she was stuck between a couple who kept talking to each other and passing her food, making the experience “miserable”.

“If you choose to bet on this 'hack', you must be aware of the possibility that someone may come in between you, and be prepared to give that person the space and peace they deserve. It is very important to be considerate on travel days.”

Selecting your airplane seat hoping for the “perfect set-up” is akin to “tossing a coin into a fountain and hoping the wish comes true,” said California-based etiquette expert Rosalinda Randall.

“When I fly, I try my best to consider my needs within my small space,” Randall told Fox News Digital. “What can I do to be somewhat comfortable without disturbing others?”

Randall said if someone is sitting in the middle seat, there are some “common courtesies” that fellow passengers should follow — like not talking to the person in the middle seat or disturbing them from their sleep so you can talk.

“Airplane passenger outbursts are becoming more common,” Randall said. “Some of these incidents are caused by minor inconveniences.”

Randall and Darrington shared some tips that may be helpful.

Both recommended trying this hack if you're booking a seat at the back of the plane, as these seats aren't ideal for solo travelers who don't want to wait long to deboard.

He also suggested trying this hack when traveling on less busy days.

“Choose a route that isn't as popular for the season you plan to go in,” Darrington said.