Stuck in the Middle Seat? Subway Is Giving 10,000 Sandwiched Fliers Free Footlong Subs

10,000 unlucky fliers can become winners by scoring a free $12 Subway gift card.

Most travelers have a seat preference when they fly. They either want to sit in the window seat to take in the views during the journey, or they prefer the aisle seat to get up more easily without disturbing their seatmates.

But no one claims the middle seat as their favorite. Unfortunately, someone has to sit in the middle seat, and that someone could be you. 

When this happens, it can make for an interesting travel experience. But sandwich chain Subway has a treat for fliers "sandwiched" in the dreaded middle seat. 

As more people prioritize travel, flights are full 

With a record number of travelers choosing to fly, flights are jam-packed. Since many flights have few to no empty seats, more people are stuck being sandwiched in the middle seat. 

If you're flying and are sitting in the middle seat, you can enter Subway's limited-time sweepstakes to score a free footlong sub. 

While you may have to deal with a few hours of discomfort during your flight, bread, cheese, and meat almost always make everything better. Carbs are delicious, but they're even better when they can be enjoyed without lowering your bank account balance.   

Enter to win a free footlong sub from Subway 

To celebrate National Sandwich Day, Subway wants to reward fliers stuck in the middle seat by giving them free food for their troubles. 

The chain plans to give away 10,000 footlong subs for free. You can enter the sweepstakes if you're flying in the middle seat.

On Nov. 3 at 12:00 a.m. EST, air travelers can begin entering the sweepstakes by uploading a photo of themselves flying in the middle seat at SubwaySandwichSeat.com. 

Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 4, 2022. 

A whopping 10,000 winners will receive electronic gift cards, which they can use to get a free footlong sub. Each gift card will be loaded with $12. 

Winners will be randomly selected on or around Nov. 5. 

If you're a lucky winner, this contest could score you a free lunch -- and in today's expensive world, that's a huge personal finance win. 

How to score a freebie, even if you're not flying 

Not flying anytime soon? The good news is you won't end up sandwiched in the middle seat. But the good news doesn't stop there. 

You can score a buy one, get one footlong sub when you place an order on the Subway website or the mobile app. Enter code "FLBOGO" to take advantage of this money-saving offer.  

Four ways to make your next sandwich more affordable

With increasing prices, many of us are following a strict budget. But that doesn't mean we can't celebrate National Sandwich day. These tips may help you save money the next time you order a sandwich from your favorite local eatery: 

1. Don't ignore promotions. You may be able to take advantage of special deals by using coupon codes when ordering your food. Some companies (like Subway) run promotions and make coupon codes available to help you save money on your order.  
2. Use free delivery memberships to get your food delivered for free. If you're ordering through a food delivery app, you may be able to score free delivery by investing in a free delivery membership. Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash all offer free delivery services for a membership fee. However, you may qualify for free food delivery services like this.  
3. Put your credit card perks to use. Some dining and restaurant credit cards include monthly delivery app credits as a perk, which could make your next takeout meal more affordable. If you have a credit card with these perks, don't let them go to waste. 
4. Use gift cards. Many of us have gift cards that we've forgotten to use. Check to see if you have any restaurant or fast food gift cards that need to be redeemed. If you do, you could score a free meal. 

If you're flying this week, here's hoping you have an aisle or window seat. But if you end up in the middle seat, you can have fun snapping a selfie and enter Subway's contest to try your luck at winning a free sub.