As I find myself getting on a plane nearly every month, there's something about the middle seat that just sucks. It's like sitting in Monday morning traffic on the I-5 going to LA or getting in one of those packed Tokyo trains at 8:00am. Can't move.
I'm a frequent flyer member of SkyTeam since 2005 but since I found myself getting on Star Alliance member airlines this year, I decided to sign up for Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer membership to try and get the best of both worlds.
A part from pilots and flight attendants, I can't think of any other type of profession whose as knowledgeable with air travel as much as photographers are. We've got clothes, paperwork, computers, camera equipment and all those little peripherals that come along with it to worry about. Every little detail counts. Including the seat that you're going to be in for some couple of hours.
Typically what I do when I check in at the airport counter is ask if there are any aisle side or emergency exit seats available if the online seat reservation option is not available. Those are the best seats if you're on the cheap in my opinion. It's amazing how certain seats on an airplane can either put you in a good mood or bad one...