Aisle Be Honest…

The aisle seat is better than the window seat; I’m never going back. I’m fully committed to reserving aisle seats on long plane rides from now on.

This is coming from a former window seat person. I wanted to be able to look out the window and see the plane taking off, the beautiful puffy clouds, the sunset or sunrise. I also wanted to be able to rest my head on the wall of the plane, because it’s so hard for me to fall asleep and stay asleep on long plane rides.

But I’ve recently discovered the benefits of the aisle seat, and they outweigh any upsides of the window seat. I bet you’re aware of the biggest one already. Yep, you guessed it – you can get up freely as much as you want! This is the greatest benefit, because of the way your blood pools in your feet/ankles/lower calves during your flight while you’re seated. If you get up every couple hours during the flight (and wear compression socks) you can stimulate blood circulation and reduce the effects of swelling!

You can also get up to go to the bathroom as much as you want or need to, and you don’t have to bother one or two other people every time. Yes, as an aisle seat person you are going to have to get up more often to accommodate the others in your row who may also need to get up to walk, stretch, access their luggage, use the bathroom, or grab a snack. But if you are truly an aisle seat person, you won’t mind because you’ll be doing those things already! And when you get up to go take care of yourself, it’s likely that one or two of the people in your row will also get up, which will surely benefit them. We humans aren’t meant to be sitting for so long!

When you get up to go to the bathroom, don’t stop there. Wash your face, moisturize, brush your teeth, change your underwear. You’ll feel nice and refreshed and it will add some comfort and pep to your monotonous airborne journey. It can make a world of difference on a flight that lasts 10-15 hours. Trust me, I know!

Another huge benefit of the aisle seat is that you only have one person next to you, so you actually get just a bit more space on the other side! This is huge for people who are tall like me. If you angle yourself to one side just a bit (the side with the aisle on it) you can stretch out just a tad farther than you would be able to in a window seat or a middle seat. Ah, the serenity.

All this to say, I have become an aisle seat person and am no longer a window seat person (if I get the choice).

You should try it too.