Mom’s viral plane seat hack sparks debate

A family travel blogger has revealed her secret to making an entire row on a flight, but solo flyers seem to be against it.

Jess Darrington, the Idaho-based creator of Where’s Briggs?, which specializes in travel tips for parents with children under 4, shared a now-viral seating hack on TikTok that has attracted more than 8.1 million views.

Before sharing the airline’s landing tip, Darrington prefaced the video by saying that it “sometimes” works.

Darrington said you can choose an aisle seat and a window seat in a single row, leaving the middle seat open, hoping no one reserves the middle seat.

In the viral video, which was posted under Darrington’s handle @where.is.briggs, her family ended up booking four seats across two rows, and no one booked the middle seat, meaning they had to all two lines of their 11. -Hour flight from Amsterdam to Salt Lake City all to yourself.

Darrington said she’s tried this hack several times over the years and experienced mixed results.

“The first time we tried it was when I only had one child, and he was a lap baby at the time. So it was my husband, me and the baby on my lap, and we were all flying to Europe. And when I booked the tickets, the flight was empty, like there [was] no one,” said Darrington.

“So I thought, ‘I wonder if I put myself and the lap baby in the window and then my husband in the aisle seat – if that middle seat is going to be left open.’

Darrington and her husband kept checking the airline map to see if the seats were filling up. Then they learned that 50 seats were still open and by the time they boarded the plane, they could enjoy the entire row.

“I gambled a bit. But when we got on the flight, that middle seat was empty and it was really nice because we had a little bit of room to move around,” she said.

Darrington said that while the hack is useful when it works, it doesn’t always go according to plan.

“Families need to understand that this is not a guarantee. If you want a safe seat for your child on the flight, you should buy them one,” she said.

Darrington said if someone ends up booking the middle seat, you should just admit you were unlucky this time and be a respectful fellow passenger.

“I also think, as a traveling family, you also can’t get mad or upset if that middle seat fills up, because that’s what can happen. But if you’re willing to gamble a little and if you’re checking your odds to see how many seats are still open on the flight until the day of the flight, you might get lucky like we have a few times.

Darrington said she knows most people would say they don’t like sitting in the middle seat on a flight, let alone an international flight sandwiched between two strangers.

The best thing to do, she suggested, is to offer one of the two seats you have to the middle passenger so he can get an “upgrade” and you can sit next to your travel companion.

“I have yet to meet anyone who is frustrated that they no longer have a middle ground. You know what I mean?” she said.

Not everyone seems to appreciate Darrington’s airplane seat hack, especially solo travelers who find themselves stuck in the middle seat.

“I honestly can’t stand it when people do this and then expect me to move or switch places,” one TikTok user commented on Darrington’s video.

“Here’s an idea. Just take seats next to each other,” another person wrote.

“I was on standby and sat in the middle seat and the family was like mad at me??? I happily moved so they could sit next to each other, but why are you angry with me?” one woman commented.

Travel creator Meredith Pierce, @meredithonthemap, shared a video on TikTok in which she expressed her frustration at couples who try the trick.

“As a solo traveler, it’s very common to end up in sit-down situations [among] couples and families on a long flight. Couples will even reserve aisle and window seats, hoping no one will be assigned the middle. And when a solo traveler ends up in that middle seat, it throws them for a loop,” said Pierce, a Georgia resident.

“In my opinion, the couple has two options. One, to offer to switch seats with the solo traveler so they can sit together, or two, to stay in the designated seats.”

Pierce said she experienced one flight that resulted in her getting stuck between a couple who continued to talk to each other and pass food to her, leading to a “miserable” experience.

“If you choose to gamble on this ‘hack’, you should be aware of the possibility that someone may sit between you and be ready to offer them change or give them the space and peace they deserve. It’s so important to be mindful on travel days.”

Rosalinda Randall, a California-based etiquette expert, said choosing airplane seats in the hope of the “perfect setup” is akin to “tossing a coin into a fountain and waiting for the wish to come true.”

“When I fly, I do my best to consider my needs within the confines of my rough space. What can I do to be somewhat comfortable without offending others?” Randall told Fox News Digital.

Randall said that if the middle seat ends up being taken, there are “common courtesies” that other passengers should observe — like not having conversations over the person in the middle or disrupting their sleep so you can talk.

“Airline passenger anger is becoming more and more common. Some of these incidents are for minor concerns,” Randall added.

Randall and Darrington shared tips that may be helpful.

Both suggested trying the hack if you’re booking near the back of the plane since those seats aren’t as ideal for solo travelers who may not want to wait long to get off their plane.

They also suggested trying this hack while traveling during less busy days.

“Choose a route that’s not as popular for the season you’re planning to visit,” Darrington said.