How to Avoid Getting Split Up
Airlines separate families by default and then charge to fix it. Southwest used to be the escape hatch; now that it assigns seats too, a family that doesn't pick carefully can be scattered across the cabin. The cleanest fix is a three-across block: one side of the aisle, three seats together, nobody across the aisle from the group. Below are the best three-across family blocks across US carriers, rated from the live database, from 62 aircraft.
| Airline / aircraft | Three-across block | Rating | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines Airbus A321XLR (Flagship Suite) | 15A + 15B + 15C | 9/10 | Main Cabin Extra |
| United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 (Signature Interior) | 21A + 21B + 21C | 8.7/10 | Economy Plus |
| United Airlines Airbus A321neo (Signature Interior) | 21A + 21B + 21C | 8.7/10 | Economy Plus |
| United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 (Signature Interior) | 21A + 21B + 21C | 8.7/10 | Economy Plus |
| JetBlue Airways Airbus A220-300 | 12D + 12E + 12F | 8.7/10 | Even More Space |
| JetBlue Airways Airbus A320-200 (Restyled) | 11A + 11B + 11C | 8.3/10 | Even More Space |
| Delta Air Lines Airbus A321neo | 13A + 13B + 13C | 8/10 | Comfort+ |
| Spirit Airlines Airbus A321-271NX (IATA: 32Q) | 18A + 18B + 18C | 8/10 | Exit Row |
| Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900ER | 17A + 17B + 17C | 8/10 | Main Cabin |
| American Airlines Boeing 737-800 | 17A + 17B + 17C | 8/10 | Main Cabin Extra |
| JetBlue Airways Airbus A321-231 (A321ceo) (Classic with Mint) | 21A + 21B + 21C | 8/10 | EMS standard |
| JetBlue Airways Airbus A321neo (Mint) | 14A + 14B + 14C | 7.7/10 | Even More Space |
| Delta Air Lines Airbus A321-200 | 27A + 27B + 27C | 7.7/10 | near galley or lavatory |
| JetBlue Airways Airbus A321-200 (Classic) | 23A + 23B + 23C | 7.7/10 | Even More Space |
| American Airlines Airbus A320 | 11A + 11B + 11C | 7.7/10 | Main Cabin Extra |
| Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 | 7A + 7B + 7C | 7.3/10 | near galley or lavatory |
| Spirit Airlines Airbus A320neo | 12A + 12B + 12C | 7/10 | Economy |
| Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 | 6A + 6B + 6C | 7/10 | Premium Class |
| Frontier Airlines Airbus A320neo | 13A + 13B + 13C | 7/10 | Economy |
| United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | 22D + 22E + 22F | 7/10 | PP |
Keeping everyone together for less
Book the block at purchase.Seat inventory only gets worse as the flight fills. A three-across block on a 3-3 narrowbody is the simplest win: window, middle, and aisle on one side, with no fourth stranger in your group's row.
Family of four? Take a full three-across block plus the window or aisle directly in front or behind, rather than splitting two-and-two across the aisle, so an adult is always next to the kids. Two pairs work too if both are window-side.
Southwest specifically. The old board-early-and-sit-together trick is gone. Pick exact seats when you book. The system will separate you otherwise, even on an empty flight. Our Southwest assigned-seating guide covers the fare tiers that affect which seats you can grab.
A US rule helps.Carriers are expected to seat children 13 and under next to an accompanying adult at no extra charge when adjacent seats are available, but it's easier to pick a block up front than to rely on it at the gate.
Every block above is three seats on one side of the aisle, rated from the live database. Tap an aircraft for the full scored map and grab your block. How we rate seats →