My wife and I are traveling a multi-leg trip this week, with her on a companion fare to the ticket my office bought for me.

Now, she has a work issue that means she will be staying in the NW while I fly back to DC.

Since we paid for the seat, is there a way that the seat can fly empty, as if I had purchased two seats for myself? I'm a big guy and though I fit in one seat just fine, it's always more comfortable with an empty seat in the middle.