Search Results for: blog the dreaded middle seat

Finding the Right Seat

I have always preferred window seats on airplanes. While I agree that aisle seats work better if you have a small bladder, like to stroll around or need access to the overhead bin throughout the flight, I’m not a big fan of beverage carts, flight attendants and others smacking into me as they make their way down the plane’s narrow aisles. And then, there’s the dreaded middle seat. Or, purgatory, as I like to refer to it. Does anyone ever request a middle seat? Not likely. According to travel experts, exit rows, aisle or window seats, and seats located near … Continue reading →

Air Travel—-Securing the Perfect Seat

What is your idea of the “prefect” seat on a commercial airliner? (Besides the ones in the first-class cabin or the one that is next to an empty seat.) For some air travelers securing an aisle seat is a must. Others insist on sitting next to the window. We now know the “safe seat” theory is bogus, and the seats next to the emergency exits come with restrictions. So what is the best seat on a plane and how do you get it? According to travel experts, exit rows, aisle or window seats, and seats close to the front of … Continue reading →

The Dreaded Middle Seat

Oh, the infamous middle seat… Is there anyone who enjoys sitting in the middle seat? As a child my parents would cram all four of us kids in the backseat of our family’s station wagon (this was decades before seat belt laws were enacted), which meant that not one, but two of us, were forced to spend drive time squished between the two lucky siblings who scored the window seats. And so it goes… from vehicle to vehicle… middle seat syndrome is hard to shake. Until now. Thanks to some ingenious British engineers, the dreaded middle seat on coach flights … Continue reading →

Get the Most Bang for Your Travel Buck

Want to live like the President of the United States without having to spend millions campaigning for the title? Then head to Charlotte, North Carolina, before September 8th. That’s where you’ll find the “American Presidential Experience 2012.” The traveling exhibit is one of the hot spots for non-politicos checking out the Democratic National Convention. Visitors of all ages, races and creeds can get in some hands-on learning about this country’s top job and the men who held the position, from George Washington to Barack Obama. The 30,000-square-foot, nonpartisan exhibit is crammed with presidential memorabilia, including a full-size recreation of the … Continue reading →

Are You a Rude Rider?

Shortly after graduating from college I moved to Atlanta for a job. However, instead of finding an apartment in the heart of the downtown metro area, I opted to share a house in the suburb of Duluth with a couple of friends of friends. Thanks to MARTA (Atlanta’s public mass transit rail system) I was able to park and ride to work each day. My point of origin was the second to the last MARTA stop and my final destination was downtown, so I was forced to ride the rails for more than an hour round-trip. It was during my … Continue reading →

Move Over, Batmobile!

My dog Miko loved my old station wagon. It was a Ford Country Squire LTD — a huge island of car with wood paneling, pleather bench seating and lots of windows. Miko would stand on the armrests and stick his head out the open window and “surf” while I drove. The station wagon I have now (a Hyundai Elantra wagon) is somewhat smaller, but still has plenty of room for Moose and Lally to ride along. Moose often sprawls out on the back seat while Lally hops over the seat into the back of the car and makes a nest … Continue reading →

Are You In Favor Of “Cattle-Call” Boarding?

There was a lot of attention paid to discount giant Southwest Airlines this week. First, the low-cost carrier announced it would no longer be allowing families with children to pre-board flights. Then, the company revealed that it would be sticking to its unique open seating policy—-a process many passengers have nicknamed the “cattle call.” In a previous blog I told you about Southwest’s efforts to experiment with different seating strategies. The carrier spent the summer running several different seating and boarding tests in San Diego and San Antonio. And according to airline executives, the results of those tests convinced them … Continue reading →

Being Polite At 35,000 Feet (It’s Really NOT That Hard)

Can’t we all just get along? Following the recent incidents involving rude airline passengers and ruder flight attendants, one is left to question whether airplanes are carrying any travelers who are not disgruntled. Which is not to say that most peeved passengers don’t have a right to be, especially when they have to endure record-breaking delays, a less than patient flight crew and countless airline lavatories that simply don’t work. But, as we head into the last long weekend of the summer season, perhaps, we could commence a moratorium on travel-related complaints and practice some common courtesy. For example: · … Continue reading →

Putting The “Friendly” Back In The “Friendly Skies”

I’ve flown in business class several times, though none of the trips were business related. They were all overseas flights and I don’t remember a single time when I was not surrounded by suits. Which is not to say I was surrounded by a single gender, it’s just that the passengers I was sharing cabin space with were serious travelers and flying for a reason besides visiting their Aunt Sue in Lisbon. They are the individuals I thought of when I received a letter from United (I’m a part of their frequent flier program) announcing that they recently revamped their … Continue reading →