Booking Aisle and Window to avoid middle seat
 

I am taking my granddaughter, age 11, to Honolulu next March. We are booked on award travel. Two of the flights, the longer ones we can sit two across. We have no status on UA and not paying for seats.
On the two shorter flights, the seats are three across. I would like to avoid either of us sitting in a middle seat so I chose a window and aisle on both flights, assuming that unless the flight is totally full, nobody would intentionally book a middle seat.
I figure if someone is assigned the middle seat they would be happy to change to the window so we can sit together. I don't think there should be any issue with this. Am I correct?

Booking Aisle and Window to avoid middle seat
 

Be ready for a barrage of replies suggesting that this is not correct :-)

If I end up in a middle seat and someone with aisle/window seat offers to switch, I accept with a 'thank you / no problem'.

Yes, you are correct. The chance of not getting someone to change with you is next to 0%. Don't worry about all the "what if".

100% OK and exactly what I do. If people tell you that this is unethical, it's not. The NY Times Ethicist even said so! (Can't find the link now)

I have done this many times, sometimes it works out, but a few times a person is assigned to the middle seat the day of the flight. When I ask the person to switch seats, I have never been turned down, in fact most of the time they thank me for taking the middle :D

^

On the contrary, that's our strategy when flying Southwest.

However, if you're in E- section, be aware that UA will fill up every seat back there before putting people in E+ middle seats.

One time, I flew EWR-PBI with my father on B6. He had the window and I had the aisle, and someone had the middle seat. We asked him if he wanted to switch, and he replied with "Why?" We explained we wanted to sit next to each other and he cut us off with "then why didn't you choose 2 seats next to each other?" We said it would be more comfortable for him, and he finally agreed to switch, but didn't look happy about it, and he seemed to be doing us more of a favor than himself.
Other than that, I've never seen someone upset to switch

This is proof that some people are just plain strange. Talk about not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Well not exactly, I for 1 when I book a flight late and all thats left is middle seats at the airport will ask at the checkin counter or gate if Im sitting between 2 people with the same last name if not I ask for a middle seat between 2 people with the same last name, and usually get it due to my status and then bingo Im no longer sitting in a middle seat.

Oh but the window isnt what I want , I want the aisle. So when they tell me to take the window as they want the aisle.I simply respond dont worry I have no problems sitting in the middle seat, if I did I wouldnt have booked the flight to begin with. Some grumbling from the person in the aisle seat as they get up to give it to me :D

Not sure when the last time you flew was but the odds of an open middle seat are slim regardless of strategy. Current load factors say you have a shot at 2-3 seats that would have an open middle. The best way to ensure the middle stays open is to select HORRIBLE Y- seats. At the last minute anyone with a middle seat in Y- is going to look for a middle seat in Y+. Also everyone wants to be close to the front and the further forward you are in the AC the greater the chances that you don't have a chance at an open middle.


Good luck but don't count on it.

+1. Chances are pretty good that if the middle/window or middle/aisle had been booked someone else would have snapped it up and he'd have been in a different middle seat.

BTW, another option is to choose two aisle seats across the aisle from each other.

BEST idea here.

but that wont give you any more room and if the 2 people want to talk to each other , it at times is very difficult with others constantly walking back and forth between the 2 of you