Airplane seat selection with young kids

[Griffin11]

Hoping for some advice from the frequent flyers!

It's looking like our flights will be on a plane with a 3-3 layout (ie. 3 seats on each side of a middle aisle). We'll be two adults with a 3 year old and a 5 year old, first flight for the kids.

Are we better off getting two window/middle seats in different rows, or sit in one row, with one adult on the other side of the aisle?

 

[Spunky946]

We usually sit 3 and 1. My daughter at the window, me in the middle, my son in the aisle and my dh across the aisle.

 

[sponica]

I would do as @Spunky946 suggests, that way if someone has to use the facilities you're not asking the aisle seat holders to get up/down.

 

[Brett Wyman]

3 and 1 for us too.

 

[emilyrachael]

We do the 3 and 1, too. Then I feel like the 2 kids are contained in the window and middle seat. My husband sits across the aisle, but we can always switch seats if one of us needs a break from entertaining the kids.

 

[mjkacmom]

It’s much easier to communicate across the aisle.

 

[Griffin11]

Thanks everyone, sounds like there's consensus!

Now I just need to convince my husband that he should be the one to sit next to the kids

 

[SteveH]

Our kids sat in the window/middle seat so they could see out. We did split the duty so each of us could get a bit of a break/snooze.

 

[Kaleidodad]

We usually sit 3 and 1. My daughter at the window, me in the middle, my son in the aisle and my dh across the aisle.

We do the 3 and 1, too. Then I feel like the 2 kids are contained in the window and middle seat. My husband sits across the aisle, but we can always switch seats if one of us needs a break from entertaining the kids.

Same here, although I am DH in our family seating layout.
My wife and both girls take dramamine, so they usually are all passed out while I happily read or play on a tablet across the aisle.

 

[Roscoe18]

Thanks everyone, sounds like there's consensus!

Now I just need to convince my husband that he should be the one to sit next to the kids

I agree with the consensus here - 3 and 1 is the way to go!

It shouldn't be hard for you and your husband to switch seats mid-flight too. That way you both get some "alone" time.

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

I'll be the different one. We do 2 and 2, window and middle. My apologies to making the aisle sitter get up for the inevitable bathroom break, but this configuration works for us. As a bonus for the aisle sitter, they're next to a smaller person who doesn't take up the arm rest.

We sit this way for two reasons: 1) son used to be a seat kicker, just due to the length of his legs. He'd be behind me, so he wasn't kicking a stranger's seat. 2) husband is 6'4". A seat reclined into him pretty much kills his knees. So we sit in front of him and guarantee we won't recline into him.

 

[gtpoohbear]

We always do 3-1, mostly because I hate being "trapped" with a stranger between me and easy access to the restroom, lol!
And it's always DH that sits next to the kids. At first, I used the excuse that I spend so much more time with them anyway, wouldn't he like to have some "bonding time" too? And now it's just such a habit that we arrange ourselves that way automatically.

 

[mkla2015]

We usually do 2 and 2 with middle and aisle seats. My kids don't care if they are by a window or not so we put them in the middle seat with myself and DH splitting duty and sitting in aisle seats for easy restroom access. It works for us- my kids are a little older now but have been flying since they were 3 and 4 years old with no issues. We keep them busy with inflight entertainment on their ipads and we also pack gummy bears for take off and landing to help with their ears.

 

[NotUrsula]

Just FYI for others reading this, if there is a carseat in the equation, it has to be placed in the window position (if there are two carseats with only one adult, the largest goes at the window, and the smaller in the middle.) Even if you have 2 adults and one carseat in a row of 3, the FAA does not want it placed where it might "impede egress" in an emergency, so against the window it normally must go.

On US carriers, carseats also may not be placed in the rows directly in front of or behind the exit rows.

Also, if you have two lap babies in one party, they may not sit in the same row unless they stay on opposite sides of the aisle. (This is because each row section only has one more oxygen mask than the number of seats in it.)

 

[Princess Minnie321]

We also do 3 and then 1. The first time we flew, we did 2 and 2 window and middle and I felt trapped. My kids like to sit by the window so 3 across and then my husband at the aisle next to us works best for us.

 

[Aaeolien]

Thanks everyone, sounds like there's consensus!

Now I just need to convince my husband that he should be the one to sit next to the kids

I find being offered extra margaritas while on vacation will get me to sit next to the kids on an airplane. HAHAHAHAHA

 

[Afabena]

3 n 1 here too! I usually start and end the flight next to the kids.

 

[EACarlson]

We are doing 2 and 2 for our kids' first flight. We have an almost 4 year old who will be in a car seat in a window with Mama next to him. I will be in the window in front of them with the seven year old next to me. My seven year old is obsessed with airplanes so I can give him my seat if he gets brave enough to look out the window.

 

[MouseOfCards]

We sometimes do 2 and 2, because both kids like to look out the window. But now we prefer the 3 and 1 for all the reasons mentioned. In the 2 and 2, it's also hard to keep an eye on the leftover child if one parent needs to use the facilities.

 

[BabiesDaddy]

Well, we did 3 n 1 for our first flight. After that, 2 n 2. Each child likes a window seat. I like a window seat as well, but want to save my veto power for something else.