Does the Middle Seat Get Both Armrests?

"The middle seat armrests belong to no one," says airline analyst Timothy O'Neil-Dunne. "It's common space and you better treat it that way."

Who gets the middle armrest on a plane?

That means the person next to the window has the wall to lean on and the passenger in the aisle has their outer arm rest to lean against. “It's universally accepted that the middle seat passenger has drawn the short straw, so they should get the luxury of both armrests,” Ms Panter said.

Why do middle seats exist?

Sitting directly adjacent to two people means that passengers only have so much shoulder room. But moving the middle seat back a few inches allows for more space, so the company made the middle seat about three to five inches wider than the standard 18 inch seat.