icelandair seat choice

September will still be high season due to the decent weather and good chance for northern lights. Even on both of our October trips the planes have been pretty full.

What we have done in a similar situation, (but with just 2 of us) and on other carriers is select window and aisle hoping that middle seat will be left vacant. When someone shows up at our row for that middle seat we then offer them the window and we use the middle seat
Never have I ever heard someone request the middle seat! That person is thrilled to have the better seat. I like aisles and so my husband takes middle .
Go ahead and reserve the seats you mentioned and if luck holds that the middle seat is vacant it's a win for you ! Worse case you offer that middle seat guy the window or aisle whichever you want to give up. What are the chances ? Who knows?

Or..book 3 together and 1 across if you all want to be able to be together . Again, you can always do that last minute seat juggling if you book aisle/ window .

Just remember that you may well have to live with your choices. Someone may be put in the middle seat and someone may not agree to change. Will you be okay if that happens? It is okay to ask someone to switch politely once. If they say "no", that should be the end of it and you will need to be very careful not to be talking or handing things "across" the person in the middle seat.

Thank you everyone, all good thoughts!

We flew Pdx- Rek round trip last July. The outgoing flight had lots of empty seats in the back. Many people stretched out and took the row. I ended up with an empty seat next to me.

No such luck on the return two weeks later. Plane was packed. Go figure.