bocastephen

We always pick window/aisle and we've never had a middle seat person even dare to ask to switch. We offered it a couple of times when it suited us, but would never permit someone to bully their way into one of our window/aisle seats so we could sit together for their convenience.

Gig103

We always book window/aisle (except in business class, then two windows) but unlike your experience, we are always "offered" to swap. I can't blame the middle person for hoping for a window or aisle but we always decline. Several times they've been visibly upset at us, as if it was my idea for them to book basic tickets and get stuck between us.

halls120

That was pre-merger, and yes, it was a nice benefit.

skimthetrees

Once in a situation like this I was "offered" to swap. I suspect this was because my daughter in the window seat asked me a few questions. If you do not talk across the the middle seater you probably will find far fewer offers/requests to swap. If you pass items over the middle seater to your companion you are almost guaranteed to be offered to swap.

drvannostren

People do this in hopes that no one will chose to sit next to them when another row is open. IF you monitor your seats closely, this can work. Especially towards the back. But if you're not careful, you'll end up boxed into that middle.

Out of my Element

They may be a nervous flyer. Don't be shocked to see them move up between you again

belfordrocks

I always maintain that opposite aisle-aisle is the best seat assignment for 2 people travelling together, especially if you know the flight will be full

LimeyFlyer

I agree with this, and if not available, I will book window and aisle for myself and Mrs Limey, and the poor person in the middle just has to live with us :-)

narvik

Not sure where the seatmap starts (there are no row numbers), but looking at that, is seems like an older layout; if the map starts at row 16 on a 77Y, the middle seat in question would be 20K.

Could it be that the person selecting that seat did so by phone and thought it was a nice aisle seat in PP on a Polarized plane???
Or maybe that middle-seat person had an equipment swap from a Polarized version?

(Maybe not the case of a 77Y, as the seatmap in E+ are slightly staggered on those.)

Often1

Somebody who was nasty to their admin during the holiday season, so they wound up booked in a middle seat.

Repooc17

Just make sure the middle seater gets both armrests

jmastron

I may be dense, but in the seat map in the OP, what's the benefit to selecting a middle in an occupied row, instead of a middle in one of the 4 empty rows? I can see the strategy behind doing the latter, thwarting a couple from taking the 2 seats next to you and hoping a single traveler will take an aisle or window not next to an occupied seat. But taking the middle of an occupied row:

1) If the occupants don't notice and the flight fills up, you're stuck in the middle

2) If they're traveling together and notice, they might move to an empty row...leaving you in the same position as if you just took an empty-row middle in the first place.

There are other possibilities, but I'm trying to think of one where doing this is avantageous.

Separately -- in general, it's totally fine for co-travelers to take aisle/window...as long as they are prepared to be quietly independent, such that the middle seat person might not even realize they were together. As stated above, talking over the middle person or worse passing stuff back and forth across them is just rude, and an annoyed offer to switch after that happens is to be expected.

Gig103

Talking/passing around the middle passenger most assuredly verboten to us. But I guess if they see us talking when they are coming down the aisle then I can see how they might figure it out to ask.

cre95

I would think this is an infrequent flyer who got a middle seat on an otherwise occupied row auto assigned to them. Can’t see why one would purposely select that middle seat where there are a few open 3-seat blocks on adjacent rows.

inpatient

I find it funny how people here are talking/complaining about a solo person picking the middle seat hoping he would get an empty row,
but then people then comment to the OP about how he should pick aisle and window above that row to try to get an empty row to themselves as most travelers need two or no one wants to be sandwiched. LOL hypocrisy at its finest.

People will do whatever it takes to get the advantage so no use knocking on someone else doing the same thing.