Travel

Aisle seat all the way for me, I'm a big guy (both tall and broad) and I've not been able to comfortably sit in a non aisle economy seat in years, including the extra legroom seats where they inexplicably assume because you're tall you don't need as much width on your seat.

By the by, why on earth is this a story?

The reason I'll pay extra for the aisle seat is two-fold. One, I don't like not having immediate access to things.

I'll admit I'm a little bit of a control freak, for better or for worse. So, being unable to get up and stretch my legs or use the bathroom whenever I want — when there isn't turbulence, of course — is not my idea of an stress-free journey.

The second issue snuck up on me in the past year.

After a decade of adventuring without fear of most things, I've developed a little bit of claustrophobia when flying. I realized this after opting for the window on a few ultra-long-haul journeys last year, thinking I'd maybe sleep easier.

However, the tightness made it more difficult. The aisle seat lets me stretch an arm or leg out when needed, giving me just enough wiggle room.

Being self-aware of all this, it just makes sense to pay extra for an aisle rather than make my personal needs anybody else's problem.

I'm also a people pleaser, so there's no way I'm disrupting my neighbors to let me out from the window seat unless it's an absolute emergency.

I know my preference is debatable. Some people complain about the aisle because of things like the galley cart hitting the seat, a lack of privacy, and difficulty sleeping because they prefer to lean against the fuselage wall.

Personally, none of this bothers me. I can sleep as long as I have a headrest, and I'm a heavy sleeper who doesn't wake up to noise or a sudden jolt.

No way. It's window seat every time for me! Reading, working, video games, music... Nothing I could do on a plane is as good when we're all smooshed together, so I may as well sleep. I fill my water bottle and use the restroom right before boarding, maybe have a drink or two, and just conk out.

I can lean against the window, control the light, will never have to get up for someone else, and it's basically time travel to open my eyes and several hours are behind me. Of course on longer flights I may need to use the restroom, but it's still up to me when I do that...

So what are they reporting on besides their bias opinions?

I like being in the middle seat so when Lump and Loaf sit on both sides, I can enjoy the stereo effect of people overflowing into my seat. They're my temporary squish friends.

Enjoy getting hit by the drinks cart as it goes up and down the aisle.