I've flown about twenty times in the last three years, and I haven't overheard anything like this. Lucky me, because I always fly Southwest, so if it did happen, there aren't actual assigned seats, and therefore the potential for volunteering to be "center guy" is more imminent. Also, I've only had 3 hour domestic flights, so I don't even deserve much of a say in the matter. Center seat on a long flight is the worst thing anyone could experience. A quick browse of the googles later, I think I like this article the most. Apparently, the profit margins aren't that large. Sounds like a complex problem. The bottom line is: no one's willing to pay 50% extra to be comfortable for a flight. Try to grab a window or aisle seat and lean far out the opposite direction of center seat, that's my game. :)