Now that I'm only a year away from 30 with a little more fun money, however, I've gotten picky about where I sit.
Many times, to the shock of friends and family who assume I'd prefer the window for the view (I used to), my preference these days is actually the aisle seat, especially on long-haul journeys.
Still, it's worth it to me to splurge in most cases.
I want the freedom to move about the cabin whenever
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 a stress-free journey.
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.
There are times when I wish I had a window seat, like when my Air India flight was flying over the Himalayas , and I couldn't see out from the center section. Fortunately, a fellow traveler let me lean over for a photo. Win-win.
I'll almost only switch seats if it's an aisle for an aisle
I was assigned an exit row window seat for a review flight on British Airways in March and kept it because there was plenty of room to get up at will.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
But that typically isn't the case. I recently flew Ryanair, and a couple wanted to sit together, asking me to switch my aisle for a middle seat — no thanks.
But I'm not a total monster. If it's a medical reason, then I'll switch, or an actual child scared to sit away from their parents.
For instance, I had a situation in which a woman who didn't select seats in advance was separated from her young son. It was an aisle for an aisle, but I ended up in the very back of the plane.
Another time, a plane swap changed the seating of an entire family, and I switched out my aisle for the dad's window. I wasn't thrilled in either case, but I figured it could send some good karma my way.
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