Arit Effanga is a results-driven corporate communications executive and media strategist with over two decades of experience spanning broadcasting, public relations, and reputation management. After an extensive career in radio, television, and digital media, she transitioned into strategic communications and currently serves as the Head of Corporate Communications within the aviation sector. Recognized for her expertise in crisis communication, storytelling, and public positioning, Arit specializes in leveraging media influence to strengthen corporate brands and shape positive public perception.
It’s Friday already! Let’s touch down. There are two kinds of airline passengers, those who book their seats with seriousness and those who simply show up at the airport and say, “Anywhere is fine.” Well, anywhere is rarely fine.
For some passengers, the window seat is not merely a seat, it is a lifestyle. They want to see the aircraft push back, watch the runway disappear beneath them, and if the weather is kind, admire the clouds.
Then there are the aisle people. They like freedom, want to stretch their legs, reach their bag without disturbing anybody, and most importantly, take a quick run if nature calls.
And then there is the third category, “I don’t care.” These are the calm ones. Seats 12A, 12B? No wahala. Give them a boarding pass, and they’re ready to go. Until, of course, they discover that their seat is next to a passenger who has decided that the entire armrest belongs to them.
The window seat offers privacy, a view, and the rare opportunity to lean against something when sleep finally wins. But there is a price.
If you need to use the lavatory, you must negotiate your way past at least one person and if the person is sleeping, you may find yourself calculating whether your bladder can survive the remaining minutes of the flight.
The aisle seat is for the strategic passenger. The aisle passenger is thinking ahead. They know they may need to stand up, access their hand luggage, and that the person at the window may eventually say, “Excuse me.” They are prepared.
The aisle seat is also where you discover just how much people care about personal space. One passenger’s elbow can become another person’s unofficial border dispute and somehow, on every flight, there is always that one person who keeps their feet in the aisle as though they have paid for an extra seat.
Then there is the middle seat. Nobody campaigns for it.
The middle seat is the aviation equivalent of being invited to a meeting that could have been an email. Still, somebody has to sit there, and perhaps this is where the real lesson lies.
Air travel is a shared experience. We all have our preferences but for a few hours, we are sharing a small space with people we may never meet again. So perhaps the best passenger is not necessarily the window person, the aisle person, or the person who says, “Anywhere.”
It is the passenger who understands that the aircraft is not their living room.
Keep your voice down. Respect the armrest. Be mindful of your neighbor. Don’t block the aisle. And if you have to recline your seat, perhaps look behind you first, because while you may have paid for your ticket, you did not buy the entire cabin.
As for me? Window seats when I want the view, aisle when I want freedom, but middle seats, let’s just say I believe strongly in choosing one’s battles.
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