Originally Posted by
chollie
When I travel with family, the number one reason for wanting to sit together (in coach) is because if I'm going to be in extremely close physical quarters for many hours, I'd rather be next to family than to a stranger, particularly if the other individual is generous in size.
Right on the nose!
In cramped quarters, I'd rather my wife share my space than some stranger. That doesn't mean we won't travel if we can't get seats together -- that happens often. We won't self-combust. However, we're both more comfortable when pressed up against each other, as opposed to pressed up against strangers.