Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

TikTokers Reveal Hilarious Hack For Keeping Middle Seat Between Them Open On Southwest Flight

Screenshots from Alyssa Rafael's TikTok video
@alyssarafael/TikTok

Married TikTokers Alyssa and AJ Rafael didn't want to have someone sitting with them on their Southwest flight that allowed travelers to pick their own seats—so they pretended to be vloggers.

We can all agree that airline seats have become increasingly uncomfortable and tight, not allowing enough room for anyone to relax while on the flight. This can especially become a problem when we don't know the person sitting next to us.

Fortunately for passengers of Southwest Airlines, the company currently has a first come, first served open seating policy for their flights. Though they will be lifting this policy soon, passengers are currently taking advantage of it in any way that they can.


Two TikTokers, Alyssa Rafael and her husband AJ Rafael, in particular just created a hilarious—and incredibly timely—hack for getting a three-seat row all to themselves without anyone feeling tempted to ask for that middle seat: by acting like obnoxious vloggers.

In a hilarious first video, the pair of TikTokers talk over one another and try to complete each others' sentences (badly) while shouting out common annoying catchphrases as fellow passengers eye—and decide to pass up—sitting with them.

You can watch the first video here:

@alyssarafael

when we landed one if the flight attendants asked for a photo with us haha

The leading question from viewers of the video, of course, was whether or not the hack proved to be successful.

Alyssa Rafael was happy to report that the trick had worked by responding with a series of photos from the flight, starting with one of her relaxing in her seat while AJ was busy on his computer, the middle seat happily empty.

You can see the series of photos here:

@alyssarafael

Replying to @Christina 🫧 🤭 im not saying i recommend trying this but…

Some TikTokers found this hack to be perfectly hilarious, if not with a hint of evil genius.

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

Others shared their own hacks for keeping the middle seat empty, which were also equally genius.

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

@alyssarafael/TikTok

Though Southwest Airlines has spoken of lifting their open seating arrangement on their flights, these are all smart hacks for now for folks who really feel the need for some personal space, especially if it's a longer flight.

Even when the open-seating arrangement is lifted in the future, there will still be occasional opportunities on any airline for open seating, giving passengers a chance to bring back these tried and true hacks, even just for one flight.

The real question remains, however, now that the Rafael TikTok pair have shared their hack on social media—will their followers play along with their vlogging act, or will they want to make an appearance?

More from Trending

Miriam Margolyes
David Levenson/Getty Images

'Harry Potter' Star Miriam Margolyes Offers Mic Drop Explanation For Why Respecting Pronouns Matters

Sometimes it is just that easy to make people happy. This is a lesson learned over and over in our lives, but that's because it's an important one.

Actor Miriam Margolyes shared how she learned to change her behavior to make others happier. Margolyes appeared on The Graham Norton Show recently and brought up a fairly polarizing subject in the United Kingdom: trans people.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk looks on during a public appearance, as the billionaire once again turns a newsroom style decision into a culture-war grievance broadcast to millions on X.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk Cries Racism After Associated Press Explains Why They Capitalize 'Black' But Not 'White'

Elon Musk has spent the year picking fights, from health research funding to imagined productivity crises among federal workers and whether DOGE accomplished anything at all besides leaving chaos in its wake.

His latest grievance, however, is thinly disguised as grammatical. Specifically, he is once again furious that the Associated Press (AP) capitalizes “Black” while keeping “white” lowercase.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk; Yale University School of Engineering and Applied Science
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images; Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Elon Musk Gets Brutal Wakeup Call After Claiming That Yale's Lack Of Republican Faculty Is 'Outrageous Bigotry'

Elon Musk—who has repeatedly whined about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—took to his social media platform to whine about a lack of conservative faculty at Yale University.

Musk shared data compiled by The Buckley Institute (TBI), a conservative-leaning organization founded at Yale in 2010. TBI found 82.3% of faculty self-identified as Democrats or primarily supporting Democratic candidates, 15% identified as independents, while only 2.3% identified as Republicans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barry Manilow
Mat Hayward/Getty Images

Barry Manilow Speaks Out After Postponing Farewell Tour Dates Due To Lung Cancer Scare

"Looks Like We Made It" singer Barry Manilow is in the process of saying goodbye to the stage and meeting his fans in-person, but he has to press pause for a few months after receiving a jarring diagnosis.

On December 22, 2025, the "Mandy" singer posted on Facebook, explaining that a "cancerous spot" had been discovered on his left lung.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame, the last time audiences saw Captain America before his unexpected return was teased for Avengers: Doomsday.
Disney/Marvel Studios

Marvel Just Confirmed That Chris Evans Is Returning For 'Avengers: Doomsday'—And Fans Have Mixed Feelings

Folks, once again, continuity is more of a suggestion than a rule in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel has officially confirmed that Chris Evans is returning as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, and the internet has responded exactly how you’d expect: screaming, celebrating, arguing, and a very justified side-eye toward how Sam Wilson keeps getting treated.

The confirmation comes via a teaser now playing exclusively in theaters ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash. There is no official online release, despite leaks circulating. If you didn’t catch it on the big screen, Marvel’s response is essentially: sorry, guess you had to be there.

Keep ReadingShow less