If you’ve flown with American Airlines lately, you may have noticed more passengers opting for the often-dreaded middle seat on their flights. A travel advisor on TikTok explained why.
In a video posted on April 19, TikTok user Wendy (@ilove2cruise) begins by saying, “Do you want to know why everybody goes middle on American Airlines? Let me show you.”
According to Wendy, the reason passengers favor middle seats on American Airlines is the airline’s “preferred seat” selection policy.
Unlike some other carriers where seat selection may be complimentary, American Airlines often requires passengers to pay for their preferred seats, similar to the model adopted by budget airlines.
She says, ”They kind of give you, like, the thing, like, well, maybe, you’ll get a free seat, but you really don’t with them. Like, there’s only so many rows that they offer it to.”
@ilove2cruise #greenscreen why everyone gets a middle seat on American Airlines #airlines #airlineseat #americanairlines ♬ original sound – Wendy | ilove2cruise
However, Wendy points out a critical flaw in American Airlines’ system. “So the last 10 rows of the plane are free for alls, then past that, everybody has to go, only middle seat is free, and then… they charge for the aisles and the windows.”
This leaves families or groups flying together who haven’t pre-selected their seats with limited options, often resulting in last-minute scrambles at the gate as they try to secure connected seating.
In relation to basic economy seating, the official American Airlines website states, “You can choose a specific seat at any time for a fee,” further adding, “We cannot guarantee that companions on the same ticket will be seated together.”
While Wendy acknowledged that she doesn’t mind paying for seats with additional perks, she emphasized that airlines shouldn’t charge extra for regular seats. She concludes the video by saying, “Yeah, go ahead and charge me a fee. But to call these ‘preferred’. Really, row 29 is ‘preferred’? And now everybody sits middle, and that’s why.”
Since its posting, the video has accumulated over 1.2 million views, with many going to the comment section to share their experience with the airline.
“This is probably specific to certain planes and routes. I fly American often and this is not my experience,” one commenter suggested.
Another remarked, “I already paid for a ticket I won’t pay for a seat, they can assign to me at gate”
“If there aren’t free options, you just don’t select one and you’ll get assigned entirely,” a third said.
“It’s complete bs that I have to beg someone to switch seats so my family can sit together,” one more added.
How much does a window or aisle seat cost?
According to Nerd Wallet, it can cost over $160 to select a seat on American Airlines. But this is for roomy seat on an international flight. It’s unclear exactly how much a window or aisle seat can cost. That depends on factors like flight length. However, Nerd Wallet acknowledges it may cost extra.
How to avoid paying for a window or aisle seat
According to Nerd Wallet, To avoid paying seat selection fees, you would need to be an American Airlines elite member. You can become an elite member by signing up to its frequent flyer program, AAdvantage, for free and earning points via miles flown with the airline.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Wendy via email and to American Airlines via its press email for comment.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
*First Published: Apr 24, 2024, 7:00 am CDT
Vladimir Supica
Vladimir Supica is a Serbia-based freelance writer for the Daily Dot. He enjoys traveling through Europe, reading non-fiction books, and playing with his dog Max.
