Imagine this: You hear flight staff announce that the boarding door has closed as you notice several empty airplane seats in the rows near you. Naturally, you wonder if it’s okay to move to an empty ...

Cruising Altitude is a weekly column about air travel. Have a suggestion for a future topic? Fill out the form or email me at the address at the bottom of this page. Just because an airplane seat is ...

When travelers look at an airline seat map, it’s easy to assume every open spot represents an unsold ticket, but that picture is rarely accurate. Many of those seats are intentionally blocked for ...

Scoring an empty seat beside you on a flight can feel like winning the lottery—but would you pay for the privilege? Virgin Australia is betting some travelers will, launching a “neighbor-free seating” ...