Originally Posted by
cloudeleven
What would your strategy be if you wanted to get a middle row where you could lie down and sleep? Reserve a seat in the middle row at the very back of the plane next to the lavatories?
I usually avoid the back 2-3 rows. The back row is often the worst row, because it often doesn't recline, it's normally full, it's usually close to the bathrooms, there are always people hanging out around it, etc. If I try to pick something where I might be able to get an empty seat next to me (or more frequently, an empty middle between me and one of my kids), I aim for 3-4 rows up from the back.
I came up with this strategy after seeing many, many seat maps. As they get close to full, these middle seats towards the back (but not all the way back) are often the last ones to fill up.