Why the Middle Seat Should Get the Armrests

No window, no aisle: Shouldn't their arms at least get some extra comfort?
Illustration by Brown Bird Design

It's simple math. A standard airplane row has three seats, but four armrests. Somehow, someone will gain and two will lose out; concessions need to be made. You may argue that first elbow down gets the extra comfort. Or you could exercise some plane diplomacy, and offer it to your more deserving seat mate (generally the poor soul sandwiched in the middle). The editors weigh in on where they stand.

If on the aisle or window, you must surrender

"You will never find me in a middle seat: As I've stated before, getting my coveted aisle spot is priority number one when I book a flight. That being said, I feel for that poor soul who gets shoved in between two marginally more comfortable humans and as such, I will gladly give up one of my armrests just to give them something. No ifs, no buts: The two middle seat armrests belong to the person in the middle seat. Window-dweller has a wall to lean against, aisle-sitter has a little more room to stretch out at least one leg; the middle seat has nothing but misery to look forward to, so at least let their elbows get a modicum of comfort." —Sebastian Modak

"I avoid the middle seat at all costs. Who wants to risk having not just one horrible seat mate, but two? I cling to the window as a guarantee of safety on at least one side. For my fellow passengers who have been stuck in the despised middle seat, it is only fair to give them the one bit of comfort they are allowed—the armrests. It gives us all a barrier, setting forth the line of personal space and providing the middle seat that little extra space to rest. Be kind to your fellow passenger—especially those stuck in the middle." —Meg Reinhardt

It's negotiable

"I know many people think this is a black-and-white issue—the person sitting in the middle seat gets the armrest, period. I think there's more grey. What if that middle seater is a child, someone in the window or aisle seat has a cast on their arm, or is much larger? Even if this isn't the case, I'll still argue that the armrest is large enough to split. So while the person in the middle seat may get first dibs, it doesn't mean you can't tuck your elbow back toward the base of the armrest." —Katherine LaGrave

"Maybe this sounds Randian, but I’m of the belief that if you can snag that extra armrest, it’s all yours. Sure, sometimes you have to passive-aggressively nudge for it, or wait for your neighbor to make even the slightest motion that involuntarily yields their armrest territory—but not everybody in the middle uses them (frankly, those poor middle seaters usually just try to sleep through the flight). I also have yet to encounter someone who will actually say to me, “Hey, can you move your arm?” If, for some reason, I really feel bad about doing it, then I might only use it for part of the flight (i.e., while I’m reading) and give it up when I’m napping." —Betsy Blumenthal