Everyone wants to have a comfortable experience when flying. And those who fly economy know the luxury of having no one sit next to you, or even better, having the entire row to yourself.
Through the years, people have devised tips and tricks on how to keep an empty seat next to you. Some of these strategies include:
- Booking the window and aisle seat (if you are traveling with a companion), leaving the middle seat empty so no one will likely book this
- Placing a personal item like a book or a scarf on the seat next to you
- Praying and putting on your most unapproachable expression
- Asking the check-in agent nicely to place you next to an empty seat
One Southwest Airlines passenger recently shared a game plan that has not been thought of.
Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines is known for its friendly fares and service. It also has what it calls an “open seating” policy, where everyone can simply choose their own seats when they board the aircraft.
The airline states on its website: “Southwest-operated flights have open seating. Once onboard, simply choose any available seat and stow your carry-on items in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.”
With this in mind, a passenger used his arms, jacket and a cap, and fashioned it to look as though the seat next to him was already occupied.
The ‘mannequin’ hack will certainly fool no one, but when you’re a passenger walking by, it will give you a peripheral vision of the seat being taken.
The 12-second clip was originally uploaded on TikTok under the username muscadinebloodline8. It is not known whether the passenger succeeded in keeping the seat unoccupied but the clip showed passengers walking past his seat without a second glance.
Other passengers have shared Southwest-specific hacks to have a comfortable flight, such as paying for the Early Bird check-in, which allows travelers to choose seats.
