On-board etiquette

How to escape the middle seat. Hint: win this contest.

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The folks at 3M Privacy Filter did a little survey and discovered – no real surprise here – that a majority of Americans would rather go to the dentist than sit in a middle seat on a full flight.

To help dull the pain, the company asked  business travel expert Chris McGinnis and etiquette expert Anna Post to put together a basic, yet handy and downloadable, Middle Seat Survival Guide.  (As I wrote in a Well-Mannered Traveler column in 2007, Delta Airlines has tried its hand at this too.)

Want to avoid that middle seat altogether? Through August 31, 2009, 3M Privacy Filters is also inviting travelers to enter a contest to win two round-trip first class tickets within the United States. You can enter that contest here.

Have some of your own tips on how to avoid, or deal with, the dreaded middle seat? Share your ideas here.