How does it feel to be trapped for hours and hours without any option to move? I can tell you all about it, because I’ve had the passenger beside me in an aisle seat fall asleep for an entire flight before.
Usually I would sit in an aisle seat when travelling long-haul in economy class. For a start, I don’t sleep sitting bolt upright, and it also means I can get up and down as much as I like without disturbing anyone.
Please Don’t Fall Asleep In The Aisle Seat!
I was travelling from Dublin to Chicago on a daytime flight, so I selected a window seat as I do like to see out. What I hadn’t counted on was the passenger sitting next to me.
After the meal service, she promptly fell sound asleep in the aisle seat. As I am loathe to poke someone awake, I just sat there as hour after hour after hour passed in boring tedium.
Luckily I had no urgent need to get out of my seat, but I was certainly glad when she woke up later in the flight for the meal before landing. That meant I could get up and go to the bathroom, but more than that, the chance to move my body out of the position it had been in for hours was delicious.
Overall Thoughts
Why didn’t you just wake her up, I hear you ask. Sure, look, if I was busting for the loo or was in some kind of pain from my seated position, I would have happily woke her up and asked her to let me out. However, I wasn’t, it was just annoyingly uncomfortable but nothing I couldn’t handle. I envy those who can fall asleep like that in economy class on a plane.
It would probably have been nice of her to say, “If you need me to get up at anytime, just ask, I don’t mind!”. It’s what I usually tell the person in the seat beside me when I’m on the aisle, so they know to “bother me” anytime (cause it’s really no bother at all).
Have you ever been trapped by someone asleep in the aisle seat before? Has anyone ever been annoyed with you at your need to get up and for them to let you out? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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This article feels forced and unauthentic. Your title demands people not to fall asleep in the aisle seat. The opening paragraphs downgrade this demand to an impassioned plea not to fall asleep in the aisle seat. Then you ultimately concede that you freely chose not to exit your seat and that your situation wasn’t so bad as to necessitate it, and that you were aware that you could have, at any time, exited your seat (from the look of it, with no more than one person to get past). So basically, drama, drama, and finally the truth that it wasn’t… Read more »
Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it!
You’re telling a possibly fatigued person to avoid sleeping for your comfort because you chose the window seat that day. One can not predict how awake or tired you will be THAT far in advance when you choose your seat. Unless you are cursed with having trouble sleeping on planes. Everyone is entitled to comfort. You could’ve easily motioned ahead to said passenger “Excuse me. I do apologize in advance. However, I may disturb you inflight to use the lavatory and stretch my legs. I don’t want to startle you, if you happen to be sleeping, when I do request… Read more »
Very good advice there, thank you for that!
Sounds to me that you just like to complain. Don’t want people sleeping in the aisle seat, don’t like people sleeping in the window seat, guess you just don’t like people sleeping…
Good point, perhaps there should be dedicated sleeping areas. I long for the day that economy gets bunks, but then it’ll be the snoring keeping me awake, I’m sure! 🙂
Was just on a red-eye in an aisle seat. The flight was about 5 hours. And I fell asleep.
On a red-eye, everyone should know to use the loo either just before boarding or after the usually-brief cabin service, because that’s sleeping time! I’m looking at you, middle and window seaters.
Hahahaha! I love it 🙂 Thanks for that!
Seriously, you didn’t “feel”? Grow up . Put your adult pants on , gently tap the person sleeping and ask them to move. They don’t mind.
Of course they don’t mind – thanks for the comment 🙂
I am the opposite, when I used to fly long haul in economy I’d pick aisle seat bc I need to get up often when I am awake. But before I’d go to sleep, I would always ask the window/middle whoever passengers if they’d like to go to the bathroom or walk around for a minute before I go to sleep because I’d like to be able to sleep for awhile. Guess how many times people took me up on that versus woke me up an hour or two later? Yeah I’d say 4/5 times they didn’t get up and… Read more »
That’s very courteous and considerate of you, really. I am also not at all surprised people would say they’re fine and then wake you later. Not really helpful! I’m with you, the whole reason I choose an aisle in long-haul economy is so I can get up and down at will. I might want the bathroom, or to go for a stretch, or to get something from the crew, or chat to the crew. Being hemmed in is the pits!
I can’t even sleep when I’m in F on lay flat seats!
Haha! Fair enough! I am usually fine enough in those, though it’s not a sleep like in a real bed, of course.
I have the same problem. I love window seats during coast-to-coast or international flights (for sleeping) but I don’t want to be trapped, either. On a recent trip to Spain, I was trapped both directions by people who NEVER got up. On a trip this month coast-to-coast in the US, I took the aisle to avoid that — only to be bumped by everyone walking by. So annoying.
Yes, I have to say I’ve been bumped a few times when sitting in the aisle seat. Almost makes a person want to sit in the middle, but that also has its downsides. Thanks for the comment!