This is mostly out of curiosity.

DH and I are taking separate trips with our boys soon. I'll be traveling with our 2.5 yo and DH will be traveling with our 6 yo.

For my flights I have reserved the window and middle seat in a 3X3 airplane configuration. Initially, I thought I'd be using the car seat onboard the plane so having a window seat for the 2 yo was mandatory. Since then, I've decided to use a CARES harness on board so I could technically put him in the middle seat but that would have him next to stranger which I don't think I'm comfortable with (perhaps mostly because I would worry about my child bothering the passenger next to him).

For his flight, DH has a window and aisle seat in a 3X3 airplane configuration. I was a little surprised that he said he'd put our 6 yo in the aisle seat. But I think his logic was the same as mine. But I don't think sitting next to a random 6 yo on a 2 hr flight is quite as big of a deal as sitting next to random 2 yo on a 4 hr flight. (Although the 2 yo is a bit more mellow.)

So what do you do in these situations? At what age do you no longer worry about putting your child next to a stranger (with you on the other side)?