Would you give up your window or aisle seat on an international flight if asked by a fellow passenger? New research shows 35 per cent of Australians would only swap seats for a better or equivalent one, while 31 per cent would refuse to move if it meant an inferior option – such as the dreaded middle seat – even to help someone out.
That leaves just 34 per cent of Aussies willing to swap seats on an international flight unconditionally, simply to help others sit together, according to the Travelinsurance.com.au survey.
The findings showed that seat-swapping decisions come down to several factors, including comfort, cost and context, and come after several seat-swapping requests have gone viral.
The survey found more than a third (35%) of Aussies would be happy to move to help friends sit together on an international flight, while 24 per cent would only consider swapping to help families with kids sit together.
Another 11 per cent said they’d only consider switching seats on a domestic flight. Meanwhile, one in three travellers (30%) said they’d refuse to switch seats on an international flight, no matter who’s asking.
There’s also a generational divide with Gen Xers (37%) most likely to happily swap seats with a fellow passenger to help out.
Millennials are the most likely to agree to a seat swap only if they’re getting an equivalent or better seat (41%) and 37 per cent of Gen Zers wouldn’t switch if it meant ending up in a worse seat.
