It might sound hard to believe, but a growing number of travelers are speaking up in defense of the most universally dreaded spot on any commercial flight. The conversation gained traction after TikToker Joshua Whitt declared that the middle seat is actually the best one on the plane, famously comparing it to “a hug at altitude that you don’t deserve but get anyway.” Far from being alone in this take, Whitt appears to be part of a quiet but growing movement of passengers who think the middle seat gets an unfairly bad reputation.
James Cashen, a 26-year-old marketing agency employee from Brooklyn who flies two to three times a month to visit his girlfriend in Utah, says the middle seat has never been a problem for him. As a budget-conscious traveler, he often ends up there deliberately to save money, and rather than dreading it, he leans into the social dynamic it creates. According to Cashen, the person in the middle is the one who gets to decide the entire mood of the row. “Take the role of the leader,” he told the New York Times, adding “You are the connecting link in the row.” He does caution, though, that reading the room matters, and if your neighbors are wearing headphones, they probably are not looking for a chat.
Travel writer and frequent flyer Gary Leff argues that the middle seat holds more strategic value than most people realize. He points out that it is not unusual for savvy passengers to deliberately pick the middle seat in a nearly empty row, since couples and groups tend to skip those rows entirely, increasing the odds of ending up with a free seat next to you. Leff also notes that middle seat passengers can still enjoy a window view, sometimes at a surprisingly decent angle, and that getting to the bathroom only requires squeezing past one person rather than two.
@imjoshuawhitt Midair cuddles are the best. #fyp #pov #relatable #flying #controversial ♬ Nasty – Tinashe
Perhaps the most compelling perk Leff highlights is the unspoken armrest rule of air travel. Window seat passengers can lean against the fuselage, aisle passengers can angle outward, but the person in the middle has no such option, so by unofficial but widely recognized etiquette, they get both armrests. In practice, this can actually translate into more personal space than either neighbor enjoys. “In the end, it can work out better for you,” Leff concluded.
Some airlines have even started acknowledging the middle seat’s bad reputation with small gestures of compensation. Virgin Australia ran a promotion specifically rewarding middle seat passengers, while Spirit Airlines offered bonus miles as an incentive for choosing the less desirable position. These programs reflect a broader industry awareness that the seat between the window and the aisle asks something extra of the traveler who takes it.
Beyond the physical perks, there may also be a meaningful social upside. Leff notes that sitting between two strangers effectively doubles your chances of striking up a conversation or making a genuine connection that outlasts the flight. Psychologist Dr. Gillian Sandstrom, author of the book “Once Upon a Stranger,” backs this up with research showing that talking to complete strangers supports learning, fuels creativity, and helps people become more resilient to uncertainty and rejection. Speaking to The Guardian, Sandstrom admitted she does not personally prefer the middle seat, but said she welcomes the opportunity for conversation whenever it presents itself.
It is worth knowing a bit of background about how airplane seating works in general. On most narrow-body aircraft used for domestic routes in the United States, such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 family, the standard economy cabin is arranged in a 3-3 configuration, meaning three seats on each side of the aisle. This is where the middle seat debate lives most fiercely. On wider-body planes used for international flights, like the Boeing 777, economy class can feature a 3-4-3 or even 3-3-3 layout, meaning middle seats become even more common. Seat selection typically opens at booking for passengers paying standard fares, though budget carriers often charge an additional fee for any advance seat selection at all, which is precisely why so many cost-conscious flyers end up in the middle to begin with. Airlines assign seat comfort ratings differently, but the middle seat consistently ranks lowest in passenger preference surveys, despite the growing minority willing to defend it.
If you have ever had a surprisingly good experience in the middle seat, or if you remain firmly unconvinced, share your thoughts in the comments.
