modgirl

I generally try to get an aisle seat, but that isn't always possible, because I often have to pick up and leave at the last minute. Most of my travel is overseas, so the flights are usually 8-10 hours long.

Almost every doctor suggests that you get up at least once an hour to stretch your legs and move around to avoid DVT. I tend to get bloated at high altitudes, so I really can't spend the entire flight in my seat. Yet, a lot of people get angry when I have to crawl over them to get out. I can understand if the aisle person is getting up every 15 minutes or half an hour, but is once an hour for a 10-hour flight asking too much?

Also, what do you do when you've been in your seat for a couple of hours (because you're trying to be polite) and really need to get out, but the aisle seat person is sleeping and completely stretched out so that the only way to get out is to wake him up? I really do try and be respectful of people, but those of us "penned in" really have no choice.

Any suggestions?

wharvey

Once an hour seems like a lot to me... I could imagine someone getting upset with that. I know when - on the rare occasion - I get a window seat I do leg/foot exercises at my seat... no need to always get up.

Unfortunately, one of the downsides of being in an aisle seat is being inconvenienced by a middle seater or window seater. I never get upset if someone needs to get up... or needs to wake me up.

Just part of being a curtious seat mate.

William

modgirl

I was kind of afraid that some might think that once an hour is a lot (yet, when we're driving cars, that's what is recommended). However, I really think the key is, no matter what our needs, to try and be courteous at all times. I always smile and apologize when I need to get out, and I'm not thrilled with having to bother someone, but I'm just not sure what else to do (I did acquire DVT a few years back, so I'm particularly suseptible to getting it again, which is why I'm rather religious about getting up).

757-300

We fly WN and are anal-retentitve first-in-the-A-line flyers, so this is relatively easy to handle. I have a nervous bladder when flying, so hubby sits in the window seat and I take the aisle. When someone sits in the middle seat, I offer to switch with them but add the warning, "I'm sitting on the aisle because I may need to get up a lot. I'd be happy to let you sit here if you won't mind me doing that." Nine times out of ten, they happily take the aisle, and they can't get too upset since I warned them in advance.

dknyc01

Nothing you can do about it if you've tried to book aisle and can't -
But the honest truth is - while I wouldn't say a word, and would comply each time asked, it would irk me, for sure, to get up ten times during a flight to let someone out.

KyRoamer

On a long flight, between eating, sleeping and movie watching, I rarely get up more than 4 or 5 times and try to stay up at least 10 or more minutes each time. I have warned the person on the aisle to let me know before they get too comfortable so I can take a stretch and do what needs doing.

My wife is a window person and I am a very sound sleeper. Once asleep, she has quiet a struggle to get by. She has learned to climb over as chances of waking me or slim. When traveling alone in business or with a friend of seating is 2-2-2, I go for the middle two. I have pressed my wife to do that but she likes the window view even though it is often dark or over water with nothing to see. Sometimes it offers extra storage or a place to rest one's head.

I'd find once an hour annoying. When driving we stop every two hours or so and that seems enough.

wharvey

You could also tell your seat mate as you both sit down "I have to get up every hour or so for circulation... so I apologize in advance." If they look unhappy with it, you could then say "Would you have any interest in the window seat so that I do not have to disturb you every time I get up?"

Never know, they may switch with you... of course, they may choose to get up every 30 minutes...

LostInAmerica

I usually sit on the aisle and this is part of what goes with sitting there. The only time this is an issue is long flights where you need to get some sleep (like eastbound TATL). If someone wanted to wake me up every hour, I would not be too thrilled.

Gargoyle

I've had two relatives die right after trans-pacific flights of DVT/blood clots, so I consider it essential to get up and walk regularly.

I always try to get an aisle on tatl. At the begining of a flight I'll mention to my seat mate that it is important to get up and walk every couple of hours, and not to hesitate to bother me. I've had some seatmates who sit there and don't move for the entire 9 hour flight, and that bothers me more than if they were to get up every hour.

I tend to joke that the two most important things to make long flights bearable are to drink lots of water and walk a lot, and the more you do of the former, the more you'll do of the later.