If you’ve ever traveled by an airline with unassigned seats — such as Southwest — you know what it’s like to stand in line with boarding pass in hand, wondering what seat you might get to choose once inside the aircraft.
It’s always a tough game to play, especially if you’re trying to protect your space and avoid the dreaded middle seat. That’s why some passengers have decided to think outside of the box.
According to Travel + Leisure, Instagram creators Kalah and David Allen posted a reel on Instagram in which they pretended to be in an argument in order to keep other passengers from sitting in their row.
It worked.
Watch the video
In the video, the pair sat in the aisle and window seats. In an effort to keep the middle seat open, they staged a heated argument.
“Pretending to be in an argument while boarding a Southwest flight so no one sits in the middle seat,” the video text reads. “It worked.”
The video has been viewed over 3 million times, according to Travel + Leisure. The couple broke character “several times laughing at the absurdity of the situation. Fortunately for them, the middle seat stayed open on the flight, as passengers seemed to quickly walk past the argument in order to find a different seat.”
The accompanying comments on the video ranged from admiration to disapproval. One person remarked, “Flying southwest tomorrow... solo. Maybe if I argue with myself I can get the entire row.”
Another person commented, “My toxic trait is I would definitely pick this seat for the entertainment.”
One individual offered another idea: “All you need to do is open the barf bag and hold it in front of your mouth while bouncing your leg like you’re trying to stop yourself from puking. Works. Every. Time.”
How do people manage seatmates?
Southwest doesn’t have a policy for saving seats on flights, according to its boarding process website. “Southwest-operated flights have open seating. Once onboard, simply choose any available seat and stow your carryon items in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.”
However, Southwest does have a policy in place for family seating. Parents or accompanying adults may ask for assistance in order to sit with their children. Even on crowded flights, “there should be enough open seats to enable the child to sit next to at least one accompanying adult.”
If you are on a flight where every seat is taken, here are a few tips for managing seatmates, per CNN.
- Be mindful of personal space.
- Be cheerful and kind toward your seatmate.
- Don’t take your shoes off or eat smelly food.
- If you have children, watch them carefully.
- Be mindful of armrests.