Does the Person in the Middle Seat of an Airplane Get Both Armrests? Here's What Today's Craig Melvin—and a Travel Expert— Say

On this week's podcast episode of Minor Issues, Major Opinions, we debate this common travel conundrum.

Minor Issues, Major Opinions is a wildly relevant and funny podcast that dives into the low-stakes controversies about which everyone has an opinion. Hosted by Real Simple editors Leslie Corona, Muzam Agha, and Amy Maclin, Minor Issues, Major Opinions covers polarizing topics ranging from the mundane to the meaningful, like: do you need a top sheet? Is the 5-second rule real or a myth? Is it really okay to let a dog lick your face? Each week, we’ll chat with celebrities to hear their hot takes on the topics at hand and get the final word from experts across industries to settle the debate once and for all.

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On This Episode

On this week's episode, we debate whether or not the middle seat of an airplane gets both armrests. REAL SIMPLE editors Leslie Corona, Muzam Agha, and Amy Maclin talk about general airplane etiquette, the manspreading epidemic plaguing the country, and window seats versus aisle seats. Then Leslie catches up with the main guest, Craig Melvin, TODAY Show news anchor, who gives a very passionate response on the episode’s topic. Celebrities Bethenny Frankel and Emily Hampshire chime in as well, with vastly different takes. Then, at the end of the episode Jacqueline Gifford, Editor-in-Chief of Travel + Leisure magazine, presides over the matter.

Meet Our Celebrity Guest

Craig Melvin

Craig Melvin is an award-winning news anchor on NBC News’ TODAY, a co-host of 3rd Hour TODAY and a host of syndicated Dateline NBC broadcasts. Craig has covered a wide-range of news events, including several Republican and Democratic National Conventions and three Presidential Inaugurations. He has also covered tragic mass shootings for the network, as well as police-involved shootings and subsequent protests nationwide. In addition to politics, he has also covered four Olympic Games and six Super Bowls.

Craig is from Columbia, S.C., and is a graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., where he serves on the board of trustees. He is an active member in several charities, including the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.  Craig and his wife, Lindsay Czarniak, will be hosting The Bottoms Up Invitational, a golf tournament that benefits the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, from September 24-25, 2023. The event, which honors his brother Lawrence Meadows, who passed away in 2020 due to colon cancer, will be held in Connecticut.

You can hear more from Craig on Twitter at @craigmelvin.

"At some point, as a civilized society, we collectively decided that if you are stuck in the seat between two adults, the least those two adults could do is enjoy the additional space and sacrifice a little elbow room. As a civilized society, that's how we conduct ourselves. "

Craig Melvin on Airplane Armrests

Meet Our Expert

Jacqui Gifford

As the editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure, Jacqui Gifford is always on the next plane. She constantly scouts for new hotels, shops, and restaurants to give readers the latest news and trends, and frequently appears as an expert guest on television networks, including NBC, CBS, ABC, CNBC, and MSNBC. A graduate of Princeton University with a bachelor's degree in English, Jacqui was born in Japan and raised in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Philadelphia. She has traveled the world extensively and lives in New York City with her husband and son. Her passions include sustainability, luxury, wellness, multigenerational travel, and more.

Transcript

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.

Download the Transcript

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