Taylor Swift is in the midst of her Eras Tour, which began on March 17, 2023 and ends on August 17, 2024. The Grammy-award winning singer will perform 131 concerts across five continents, making the Eras Tour Taylor Swift’s most expansive. And while she may travel in style these days (she has an estimated worth of $740 million), that wasn’t always the case. She reminisced about her old Southwest Airlines days recently. RELATED: How to Vacation Like Taylor Swift This Summer
Taylor Swift received an honorary degree from NYU in May, 2022 and she delivered the commencement address to the Class of 2022 at Yankees Stadium. My nephew was one of the graduates, so I read the transcript of her speech, which you can watch below:
One thing that stood out to me was when she spoke about people thinking she had such a glamorous life (in her earlier years) when in reality, it wasn’t as she ended up homeschooling and spending a lot of time on the road.
In her words: “I never got to have a normal college experience per se. I went to public high school until 10th grade and then finished my education doing homeschool work on the floors of airport terminals. Then I went out on the road for a radio tour, which sounds incredibly glamorous, but in reality, it consisted of a rental car, motels and my mom and I pretending to have loud mother/daughter fights with each other during boarding so no one would want the empty seat between us on Southwest.”
Ha! Now that’s funny and effective … and if you want to see an even funnier way, check out this hilarious video of another way to keep that seat next to you empty on Southwest or on a bus or train! But there’s another way that works even better. First of all, Southwest Airlines (SWA) is one of the few airlines that doesn’t assign seats, which is why this tip works. The reason Southwest doesn’t assign seats is because it speeds up the boarding process as it eliminates passengers trying to figure out where their seat is located. As easy as it sounds, it’s difficult for many first-time flyers and sometimes even seasoned fliers. Believe it or not, I’ve sat in the wrong seat (row) multiple times so I understand SWA’s rationale.
Tips for flying Southwest Airlines:
1. Check-In ASAP
Check-in as soon as you’re allowed, which is 24 hours before your flight. I mean, set your alarm for 24 hours and five minutes before and then check-in when the clock strikes 24 hours prior. Boarding assignments are first come, first serve. You can also pay extra for a Business Select fare to guarantee Group A1-A15 (meaning they will be one of the first 15 people to board and they usually choose the first few rows or the exit row).
2. Be on Time
Show up to the gate on time so you don’t miss your spot in line.
3. Split Up
If there are two of you in your party or four adults and you know the flight isn’t sold out (ask the gate agent), then pick a row at the back of the plane and have one person sit in the window and the other in the aisle, leaving the middle seat open. Southwest only flies 737 aircraft, which all have six seats across (three on each side of the aisle). Here are Seatguru’s pick for the best seats.
4. Taylor’s Tip or Tissues or ?
If the plane isn’t full, then you can try Taylor’s tip of fighting with your partner so no one wants to sit in between you. But you can also put a box of Kleenex on the middle seat with some crumpled up tissues next to the box. That might be more effective but with COVID still fresh on people’s minds, it also might get you kicked off the plane!
What’s your best tip for keeping the middle seat open on a Southwest flight?
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Be fat. That is literally the best way to have no one sit in the middle seat.
Well, I imagine that anyone who has been flying Southwest Airlines for awhile have picked up their own tips and tricks for what ever they need at the moment. Most of the time it depends on the flight. If you choose a destination that everyone else decided to go to as well, I imagine that some people on the flight will have their own tricks. At that point it’s whoever trick works best. But then there are flights and time flights for Wanna Get Away flights. Some of them during those times really don’t have many people on it. So you can window, middle, egde seats or you can just decide to pick a row for yourself. So if you take nothing else from my comment, take this timming plays a major factor in seat selection. It actually controls the whole time. Going at a time where less people want to be there as well. Thank you
Wow so many judgmental haters on here! I always get to pre-board for a reason that is none of your business but it’s legitimate and is allowed by Southwest. Paying for A 1-15 is not the same as preboard.
Katy, WOW, leaking. I used to be obese for many reasons and none of them had to do with you. Many people are in pain and unconsciously are heavy due to trauma or events. Don’t be so crass. Try kindness.
I try hard to smile and read. I do not make people feel weird about taking a seat. We are all just trying to get somewhere. If you really want the middle seat then buy 2 tickets. This is really anti-human speak. How about be welcoming and kind. I like Taylor Swift a bit less today. Come on, really how many times had it been horrible. I have flown a few hundred times. I find kindness works and when your welcoming nice people tend to sit with you.
Get this…. On a flight that was NOT filled. Son and I were sitting aisle/window with no one in the middle (lots of seats open). Halfway thru the flight, a women four rows up asks if anyone was sitting in the middle and being an honest person, I said no. She then muscles in to sit there. Mind you, LOTS of available single seats (and she already had one). Reason why she wanted the seat? We were on the “larger size” and she was cold!!!!
I agree with JC. For persons like me who have to use wheelchair services, how sickening to lie about your need for a wheelchair! You are probably the reason I had to wait so long for assistance. There are so many frauds……
Faking an illness and / or a fight (or actually having one / both) is a great way to be forcibly removed from the flight by the crew / medics / police and cause a delay for everyone else. And let’s not forget the potential for lawsuits…
What about a fat / super overweight person next to me who is “leaking” into my seat? I paid for a full seat, right? Between the arm holders it should be my space, right? What’s the story there?
What I do is to board as early as possible, seat myself in the last row window seat. I will make eye contact and smile at single travelers in an effort to seduce them into the aisle seat. With the middle seat now empty, I will make myself look as large as possible (not difficult for me) and I will unwrap the Subway tuna sandwich I bought in the airport and eat it noisily, being careful to not make eye contact with last minute arrivals. If there is an unsold seat on that plane, it is always next to me!
I always fly Southwest and choose the aisle seat. I don’t care who seats in the middle, as long as they don’t talk a lot. I like to do my puzzle books or read. I just want to get to my destination safely.