The journey before reaching your destination is equally important and that’s why I scan for an empty aisle seat when I board a plane. 

If I have to sit apart from my friends or family on a flight, being in an aisle seat is the equivalent of a queen’s throne with all the extra legroom available. 

During my most recent flight to Tennessee, I chose my throne and a couple sat beside me. 

I dreaded sitting next to strangers but facing my legs toward the aisle gave me my own personal space. 

Those who prefer the middle seat don’t have the same privileges. They have to turn their bodies, their knees might accidentally brush against another passenger and that makes for an awkward exchange.

I dread any time I’m confined to the middle seat. Even if I sit in between people I know, being sandwiched on a plane for several hours is a claustrophobic nightmare. 

Passengers who immediately rush to the window seat may believe their choice is ideal until they have to awkwardly squeeze past their fellow passengers to use the restroom.

I wouldn’t want to make both of my seatmates get up and crowd the aisle as someone who hates to inconvenience others.

The worst option would be for them to squat on top of their sweaty leather seats for me.

However, I don’t mind getting up for others because it’s the perfect excuse to stand up to stretch my legs during a long flight. Having a younger sister has taught me to be patient with small requests even if they annoy me.

The window is a vertical air vent at best and the window seat passengers don’t get to enjoy a clear view since they are right next to it.

I’ve been tempted by the window seat just to be a mysterious traveler on my solo flight from San Francisco to North Carolina last summer.

That image shattered as soon as passengers watched while I adjusted my body repeatedly and crammed my neck just to take a peek at what’s outside the window. 

Sitting in the aisle seat gives me the freedom to come and go whenever I please. Even though my view is the back of a chair, I can easily look towards the window seat across from me for a change of scenery. 

I would be a fool to miss out on free drinks and snacks an airline may offer. Sitting closests to the aisle ensures that I will never miss out on that opportunity.

Unfortunately, passengers who sit in the middle or window seat may fall asleep and miss out on Lotus Bíscoff cookies if they don’t hear the flight attendant asking, “Would you like something to drink?”

I can be a deep sleeper, so I wouldn’t hear that from inside the row, but I would hate to be woken up by a finger nudge from the stranger sitting next to me.

I can easily snooze away in the aisle seat until my gentle alarm – the bustling noise of a beverage cart wheeling – wakes me just in time to ask for a ginger ale.

If you don’t care about safety measures, I’m sure the flight attendants leading the demonstration in the aisle before take-off are the least of your worries. 

Middle seat and window seat passengers often cower behind the seats in front of them and make a last ditch effort to tap away mindlessly on their mobile devices.

Aisle seat passengers have full advantage of learning what to do in the case of an emergency, and we can even shoot a quick glance of judgment to those not paying attention.

When the plane finally lands, I can burst out of my aisle seat and weasel my way off the flight with ease. 

However, my seatmates might get caught in the eye of the storm while other passengers cut ahead of them.

While middle seat and window seat passengers are left behind eating my dust, I’m already standing with my luggage outside of the airport and ordering an Uber to start my vacation.