I've given up on this one.

When traveling alone, I always chose an aisle seat in a row in which the window was taken and middle open (or the reverse). More recenltly, I have found this strategy invariably leads to three strangers in a row.

Now, I look for a row in which the window and middle are taken and the aisle is open (or the reverse). This way, I sit next to a couple (or at least two people traveling together). While I understand that some couples despise each other, I find that couples tend to need less personal space between them. This leaves the middle seat occupant more likely to shift or lean in the other way.

Pretty pathetic, isn't it?