The middle seat, in the last row of the plane, right near the restroom, on a red eye...can you say nightmare?
There are ways to prevent that dreaded scenario...of course, some airlines are charging now to reserve a specific seat in advance, so you better know what you are paying for.
There are some reasons you may want to pay to reserve your seat - for instance if you are traveling with a companion or children - you'd want to sit together. Or if you are on a perpetually crowded flight. (Think Newark-Los Angeles, Friday at 5PM) If you don't have a reserved seat, your chances of being bumped from a flight are greater.
So, if you are going to pay to reserve a seat, first check with websites like seatguru.com, or seatexpert.com to get great information like what amenities your plane offers (in flight movie? WiFi?), how close a seat is to the restroom, the width of the seats, and my personal favorite - which seats have power ports so you can charge your laptop, iPod, and DVD player to keep those kids entertained! Especially important for us parents.
The reason this is my favorite is because I can't tell you how many times I have been on the phone with an airline agent who has no idea which seats have power ports,or if WiFi is offered. To top that, I have asked at the gate agents for seats with power ports, and they didn't know either.
Luckily, I have done online research in advance with the above mentioned websites, and learned if the plane had WiFi and which seats offer power ports. I would have been really annoyed if I hadn't packed my laptop or adapter and listened to the uninformed airline employees who told me there was no WiFi or power ports. **Do remember to bring an adapter to plug into the plane's cigarette-lighter-like power ports.
If you aren't going to pay to reserve a seat, try to check in online the MINUTE the airline lets you (24 hours in advance most times)..that way you can avoid any lines just to pick a seat and beat the crowd. Also, try to fly at off peak times so the likelihood of empty seats is greater; translation: you might not be stuck with a middle seat. And if you are traveling with children, check to see which airlines offer pre-boarding for families so you can get convenient seats all together.
Happy Travels...
