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Which flight will likely have empty middle seats or an empty row?

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Which flight will likely have empty middle seats or an empty row?

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Old Apr 6, 2025 | 12:38 pm
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Which flight will likely have empty middle seats or an empty row?

Looking at NYC-KEF flights for this summer. Which flight do you think will have more likely empty middle seats in economy?

EWR-KEF
A) UA using 757 with 3-3.
B) Icelandair using 767 with 2-3-2

JFK- KEF
C) Icelandair using 737Max8 3-3
D) Icelandair using 767 with 2-3-2

Wife and I travelling with two tweens. So, if we do get middle seat empty, kids mostly will be the once laying down. Also, what will be the best strategy here to get an empty row?
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Old Apr 6, 2025 | 3:31 pm
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there are probably twice as many middle seats on a 3-3 narrow-body as there are on a 2-3-2 767

presuming you book window/aisle pairs in the same or adjacent rows of three, I would have zero expectation that *both* middles will remain empty

with that said, I’d book window/aisle doubles in two successive rows on the FI 763, and put each kid in a window seat (so they can lean against the sidewall) with a parent in the adjacent aisle seat
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Old Apr 11, 2025 | 8:44 am
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Question: Is the OP's objective to avoid middle seats or to be sitting adjacent to an open seat? Depending on the answer, OP should seek to either minimize or maximize the fraction of middle seats (in coach) on the aircraft, other things such as load factors and FF status being equal.
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Old Apr 11, 2025 | 10:02 am
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Question: Is the OP's objective to avoid middle seats or to be sitting adjacent to an open seat?
talk about over-analyzing

seems pretty clear to me that OP wants to try to give at least one kid a chance to lie down across two seats (i.e., in a triple with an open middle)
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Old Apr 11, 2025 | 10:06 am
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With load factors at an all time high, choosing a flight based on the likelihood of a seat being free next to them isn't the best idea, especially during the summer when everyone can travel. If they really want an extra seat, book an extra seat.
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Old Apr 11, 2025 | 11:59 am
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Originally Posted by wrp96
... If they really want an extra seat, book an extra seat.
and in this case, 2 kids = 2 extra $eat$
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Old Apr 11, 2025 | 12:08 pm
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To KEF in the summer? Empty middle seats? Surely you jest.
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