Regarding sitting next to each other wo anyone else:

1. The 777 has in the back rows with only 2 seats.
2. Or for the 3 seats in a row, book only the window and aisle seat, hoping that empty middle seats will be allocated last (chances are higher in the back). And even then when flight is full, whoever passenger taking the middle seat will be happy to switch the aisle seat so that you two can sit together.