Who Owns the Armrest?
Ariana Arghandewal October 31, 2018
Here at FlyerTalk, we answer the tough questions: How soon before my flight can I check into the lounge? Should toddlers be allowed in first class? Passenger Shaming: A Jerk Move? (“This is personal!” according to the hypersensitive accountholder who can dish it but not take it).
The issue of who owns the armrest on an airplane should be fairly simple: Armrests should belong to the seats they’re attached to. What complicates this rule is the middle seat. The people sitting there are already cramped in between two others and deserve a bit more comfort. As a courtesy, both armrests are allocated to those sitting in the middle seat. But is that how it really should be?
The Middle Seat Situation
In a time where a “tough luck” attitude prevails, it’s pretty surprising that so many people are expressing empathy towards those sitting in the middle seat. After all, they could have avoided this fate by choosing their seat sooner or paying for a premium economy upgrade. It’s their fault they ended up in the middle seat. Why why should anyone care about their comfort when we’re all suffering?
To clear the record, that is not my opinion. It’s just what I expect from others in the increasingly uncivilized era of travel. Everyone is concerned for their own comfort, so why would they give up the arm rest to make the sucker sitting in the middle more comfortable? The fact that so many folks do think about this is a small victory for mankind.
The Sharing Struggle
There are those who would argue that the middle seat armrest should be shared. I’ve tried this and it’s not only uncomfortable for all involved, it leads to a lot more tension and aggravation. Let your left arm dangle in the aisle for all anyone cares – keep your right elbow squarely inside your own little cubicle. It’s much more comfortable than the hell the middle seat passenger is experiencing when his/her space is being invaded from the east and west.
So who does the armrest belong to? Luckily, most folks seem to agree that while window and aisle passengers own the armrest on the outside, the middle seat gets to claim the armrests to the left and right. It’s not a huge loss to either passenger, but it does make a tremendous difference for the middle seat occupant.
Sympathy for the Suffering
The next time you find yourself lucky enough to sit by the window or aisle, keep the suffering of the middle seat occupant in mind. It’s tempting to grab hold of that middle armrest (and you may even do so subconsciously), but make an effort to be mindful and resist the urge. Few people will get into an altercation over it, but why make the poor middle seat occupant suffer more than he has to? Be aware and the armrest you shall spare. I know – that wasn’t exactly my best. If you can do better with a catchy new slogan to remind us all who owns the armrest, by all means, share it in the comment section.
[Image: Pixabay]
What about when the aisle and window passengers are big and/or fat, and its physically impossible for them to keep within their "cubicle". With such narrow seats now, the middle seat occupants are often sandwiched in and forced to use their neighbors flesh as their support.
Easy. The airline owns the armrest. You and you neighbor decide - like adults - how to share it during the time it's between you.
forget the middle seat passenger taking both arm rests, they also feel that the space for my legs under the seat in front of me is theirs too
But what happens when there are two middle seats? 777 with 3-4-3 and A330 with 2-4-4 on economy, for example
Says Jim Jefferies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFx1Cpxpx1E