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Can you really get the experience of flying solo on a commercial flight?

While sharing limited space comes with the territory, there are some ways you can boost your chances of getting a row to yourself on an airplane.

People who fly a lot know that there are some unspoken rules about how seats fill up on planes. You can use these trends to get in position to snag your own row. Of course, the stars really do need to align perfectly for this to happen, but take a look at the 10 ways to maximize your chances of getting a row to yourself on your next flight.

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Pick the Middle Seat When You Book Your Flight

This one requires a little faith. While claiming the middle seat on an untouched row is always a gamble, this is the easiest way to boost your chances of getting your own row. Other travelers will be more likely to skip over your row if they can get window or aisle seats without a neighbor. Taking the middle seat essentially “claims” a row unless the flight is full.

Know How to Board for Keeps in a “Wild West” Boarding Scenario

What if you’re flying on an airline that doesn’t assign seats? Make a beeline for the back. You’ll have the advantage of letting the rest of the plane fill up before the passenger traffic trickles down to you. The strategy of picking a middle seat mentioned above can also be a big help here. A middle seat located in the back of a plane boosts your odds of getting your own row more than almost anything.

Keep Your Head on a Swivel After Boarding

You have a prime opportunity for a “do-over” if you find yourself stuffed in a full row by the time the announcement is made that boarding is complete. Look around the airplane to see if any empty rows remain. Consider any empty row your eyes can see as yours to claim!

Ask the Gate Agent for a Favor

It’s actually perfectly acceptable to politely ask a gate agent about what the situation looks like for seating while you’re waiting for boarding. Most gate agents and ticketing agents will help you out with switching or upgrading seats to avoid getting stuffed into a full row. Most people don’t take advantage of the opportunity for a pre-boarding boost simply because they don’t know that you’re allowed to ask.

Don’t Travel During Peak Times

Picky passengers know to never fly during peak times. If you have a real aversion to being stuck in a full row, it’s smart to try to fly during off-peak times. It’s not unusual for empty rows to be bountiful. Midweek flights are best when jockeying for position in an unoccupied row. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually the days with the lowest flight volumes. Flying on those days actually gives you the benefit of getting the lowest fares most of the time. That means you’re paying less for a more private flying experience if your schedule allows you to jet off on weekdays.

Pick Row 13 When You Book Your Flight to Get Lucky

Let the superstition of other people be your good luck! Yes, some people really are afraid to book seats in row 13 on flights. The negative connotation that goes along with the number even causes some people to subconsciously skip over it when they’re selecting rows. Grabbing a seat in row 13 when you book might be all that’s necessary to avoid seat neighbors.

Get a Good Seat Map App

While some airlines are pretty good about providing seat maps, you might want to consider a third-party app. In addition to showing you existing seat layouts, many apps will actually send alerts to your phone when new seats open up. This can help you to strategize for getting into an empty row before your flight.

Fly on Newer Routes

Passenger volume is often skimpy on new routes when they’re first introduced by airlines. Part of the reason is that passengers simply don’t know about these routes yet. Others are hesitant to try out “experimental” routes. It’s all good news for you if you want your own row. There’s also a secret perk to this. Airlines tend to really roll out the red carpet with the best service when launching new routes because they want to build customer momentum. You may end up having one of the best flights of your life if you’re one of the first people to fly on a new route. This same rule applies for booking flights with newly launched carriers. You’ll probably have good luck with getting your own row if you give a newer carrier a try.

Travel Using Smaller Airports

This hack doesn’t come with any guarantees. However, you’re less likely to get a row to yourself on a flight if you’re flying out of a big hub like Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX) or New York (JFK). Check out the flight offerings out of a smaller airport that’s in your region to see what you may have been missing this whole time. Many smaller airports actually have pretty impressive routes with steady departures to popular places.

Bonus Tip: Reserving a Row for Two

What if you’re traveling with someone else? You might be wondering how the two of you can increase your odds of not having to awkwardly share your row with a third party. This hack for getting your own row on a flight is pretty foolproof. Simply take the window and aisle seats when booking your flight. This will leave the “awkward” middle seat open. Nobody will choose this seat unless the flight is absolutely full. However, you won’t necessarily be stuck sitting on either end of a stranger just because you’ve chosen to try this strategy if your flight does fill up. The third party will more than likely be happy to swap the middle seat for the window seat or aisle seat once they show up. There’s really no reason to ever book side-by-side seats as your default when traveling with another person!

Getting an Airplane Row to Yourself: Is It Really Just Luck?

Yes, getting your own row on a flight partly comes down to luck. However, smart travelers know how to make their own luck by simply being proactive about the how and where of booking their seats. The disclaimer here is that there’s really nothing you can do to get some space when a flight is booked to capacity. However, these tips will put you in position to seize the opportunity if there is room for an empty row on your flight. The final thing to say is that nobody likes an entitled airline passenger. While it will be great if you can make the stars align to get an empty row on your flight, this isn’t something you should expect every time. What’s more, it’s not the responsibility of airline staff to try to help you play airline-seat chess to get into an empty row. While asking for a little inside information before you board is fine, make sure you’re not pestering gate agents or flight attendants to do your dirty work.