Use maths and pyschology to get a better airline seat - flying with 2 others

Since I travel a lot, I pay close attention to getting the best airline seat that I can. It can make a big difference in onboard comfort.

In part one I stated there are at least as many aisle seats as window seats, and gave some common seat preferences. In this post I introduce some basic maths and pyschology and explain how I select seats on every different seat layout.

First some assumptions.

1. This post covers seat selection for passengers who are flying with two other people, assuming you want to sit together. Hopefully there won't be too many arguments over who gets the middle seat! If flying alone or with 1 other person please read the previous posts, and if flying with 3 or more others please read the next posts.
2. I assume you'd like to sit together with your travelling companions.
3. I assume that you prefer to be seated either in a window or an aisle seat wherever possible.
4. I assume you like to have space. An empty seat beside you is great for inflight comfort, especially in economy class.
5. Everything being equal a window seat with less seats to climb over to get to the aisle is preferred over one with more seats to climb over, and the same applies for aisle seats (because this means less passengers climbing over you).

Take account of seating configuration

The configuration of seating in each aircraft can vary. Use the airline website, seatexpert or seatguru to find out the layout for your flight. On some routes there may be a choice of aircraft configurations on different flights. The layout number below represents the number of seats in each row with aisles represented by "-". Because the proportion of aisle, middle and window seats varies by configuration, and thus the number of good seats, I include the proportions of seats which are Aisle, Window, Middle (in that order). I use the terms centre or inner section to refer to seats in between the two aisles on widebody aircraft, and outer section for the seats between aisle and window.

Recommendations for 3 people flying together

1-0 or 0-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Take seats 1 behind the other.

1-1
100% Aisle, 100% Window, 0% Middle
Look for an empty row with a seat available in the row ahead or behind.

2-0 or 2-0-0 or 0-2 or 0-0-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Find two adjoining empty rows.

1-1-1
100% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Find an empty row.

1-2 or 2-1
67% Aisle, 67% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row.

3-0-0 or 0-0-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
Any empty row.

1-1-1-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row or row where only a window seat is taken.

1-2-1
100% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row or row where only a window seat is taken.

1-1-2 or 2-1-1
75% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Any empty row or row where only a window seat is taken.

2-2
50% Aisle, 50% Window, 0% Middle
Find an empty row and take a block of 2 seats plus the other aisle seat.

1-2-2 or 2-2-1
80% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Take the 2 centre seats plus window seat on the 1 side.

2-1-2
60% Aisle, 40% Window, 0% Middle
Take the 2 outer seats plus centre seat.

2-3 or 3-2
40% Aisle, 40% Window, 20% Middle
Any empty block of 3 seats.

2-2-2
67% Aisle, 33% Window, 0% Middle
Take the 2 centre seats plus an aisle seat in a row & side where the adjoining window seat is free.
3-3
33% Aisle, 33% Window, 33% Middle
Find an empty block of 3 seats.

2-3-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
Any empty centre section.

2-2-3 or 3-2-2
57% Aisle, 29% Window, 14% Middle
Any empty block of 3 seats.

2-4-2
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Take 2 outer section seats and adjacent aisle seat.

3-2-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Any empty block of 3 seats.

3-3-2 or 2-3-3
50% Aisle, 25% Window, 25% Middle
Take the centre section.

2-5-2
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
Find a row in the centre section with available aisle and 2 adjacent middle seats. That way no strangers need climb over you. On lightly loaded flights a better option may be to take the 2 outer seats and adjacent centre aisle seat - if the middle seats are empty this not only gives more space but you have 2 aisle seats and a window seat instead of just one aisle seat.

3-3-3
44% Aisle, 22% Window, 33% Middle
Find an empty centre section.

3-4-3
40% Aisle, 20% Window, 40% Middle
Find an empty block of 3 seats.