Learn Hardcore Japanese: hikouki de ha, watasi ha tuurogawa no seki yori madogawa no seki no hou ga suki desu. - On airplanes, I like window seats more than aisle seats.

If you used only 飛行機で without は, it would feel less clearly like a topic and more like a plain location adverbial. The では makes it clear this is the context we’re talking about, and lightly contrasts it with other contexts.

Why are there two は in the sentence (飛行機では and 私は)? Can you have two topics?

Yes, Japanese can stack topics.

飛行機では – “As for on airplanes / in the case of airplanes…”
私は – “As for me…”

Combined, the beginning of the sentence is:

飛行機では、私は・・・
→ “As for when it comes to planes, I, (personally), …”

This structure:

Sets a situation/topic: 飛行機では (“in the case of airplanes”)
Then sets a personal topic inside that situation: 私は (“I, personally”)

You could shorten it in natural speech:

飛行機では、通路側の席より窓側の席のほうが好きです。
(Omitting 私は; “On planes, I like the window seat more than the aisle seat.” The subject “I” is understood.)

Or:

私は、飛行機では通路側の席より窓側の席のほうが好きです。
(First introduce 私, then the situation 飛行機では.)

All of these are acceptable; having two は here is normal because they mark different layers of topic.

How does the comparison pattern AよりBのほうが好きです work?

The basic structure is:

A より B のほうが好きです。
= “I like B more than A.”

Pieces:

Aより – “than A”
Bのほう – literally “the side of B”; functionally “B (as an option)”
が – marks what is liked/preferred
好きです – “(I) like (it).”

So in this sentence:

通路側の席より – “than an aisle seat”
窓側の席のほうが – “the window-seat option is (the one that I) like”

Altogether: “I like the window seat more than the aisle seat.”

General pattern you can reuse:

コーヒーよりお茶のほうが好きです。
“I like tea more than coffee.”
冬より夏のほうが好きです。
“I like summer more than winter.”

Why is 席 repeated in 通路側の席より窓側の席のほうが? Could you leave it out?

The full form is:

通路側の席より – than the aisle-side seat
窓側の席のほうが – the window-side seat is more (liked)

Repeating 席 keeps the structure clear and explicit: you are comparing types of seat, not just sides.

In more natural or casual speech, Japanese often omits repeated words when the meaning is clear:

通路側より窓側のほうが好きです。

Here 席 is omitted, but listeners understand it’s about seats because of context (and because this is known to be about sitting on a plane).

So:

Full, explicit style: 通路側の席より窓側の席のほうが好きです。
Slightly more natural/compact: 通路側より窓側のほうが好きです。

Both are correct; the original sentence is just more explicit.

What does 側 mean in 通路側 and 窓側? Are these nouns or adjectives?

側 (がわ) literally means “side”.

通路 (つうろ) – aisle
通路側 (つうろがわ) – aisle side
窓 (まど) – window
窓側 (まどがわ) – window side

Grammatically, 通路側 and 窓側 behave like nouns. That’s why they are followed by の席:

通路側の席 – “the seat on the aisle side” (aisle seat)
窓側の席 – “the seat on the window side” (window seat)

You could think:

X + 側 ≈ “the X side / the side near X”

Other examples:

右側 (みぎがわ) – right side
左側 (ひだりがわ) – left side
駅側 (えきがわ) – station side (the side near the station)

Why is it 私は and 窓側の席のほう が? Could I say 私は窓側の席のほうを好きです?

In Japanese, with 好き, the pattern is:

X は Y が好きです。
“As for X, Y is liked (by X).”

So:

私は – topic: “as for me”
窓側の席のほうが – subject of 好きです: “the window-side seat option is (what I) like”
好きです – “(I) like (it).”

So the literal structure is closer to:

“As for me, the window seat (option) is liked.”

Using を with 好き is generally unnatural. 好き is an adjectival noun, not a verb like “to like,” so it doesn’t normally take を.

Natural patterns:

私は犬が好きです。 – I like dogs.
田中さんはコーヒーより紅茶のほうが好きです。 – Tanaka likes tea more than coffee.

私は窓側の席のほうを好きです is ungrammatical or at least very unnatural; stick with が好きです.

Can parts of this sentence be omitted in real conversation? What would a more natural shorter version look like?

Yes, Japanese frequently omits information that is clear from context.

Possible omissions:

Omit 私 (speaker is obvious):

飛行機では、通路側の席より窓側の席のほうが好きです。

Also omit repeated 席:

飛行機では、通路側より窓側のほうが好きです。

In very casual speech, also drop です and/or は:

飛行機だと、通路側より窓側のほうが好き。
飛行機だと、窓側のほうが好き。 (aisle vs window understood from context)

All of these are natural; the original is a polite and explicit version, good for textbooks and formal situations.

Is the comma after 飛行機では、 important? Does it change the meaning?

The comma 、 is mostly about readability and rhythm, not grammar.

飛行機では、私は通路側の席より…
飛行機では私は通路側の席より…

Both are grammatically fine and mean the same thing.

The comma just indicates a slight pause, marking off the topic phrase 飛行機では from the rest of the sentence. It makes it easier to see:

Topic/situation: 飛行機では、
Main statement: 私は通路側の席より窓側の席のほうが好きです。

In handwriting or casual messaging, people sometimes leave commas out; in printed or teaching materials, they’re often included to guide the reader.

Could I say 飛行機の中では instead of 飛行機では? Any nuance difference?

Yes, you can say:

飛行機の中では、私は通路側の席より窓側の席のほうが好きです。

飛行機では

Literally “on/with airplanes.”
In context, it means “when (I’m) on a plane” or “on airplanes (in general).”

飛行機の中では

Literally “inside the airplane.”
Slightly more concrete: emphasizes the inside space of the plane.

Nuance:

飛行機では – a bit broader, “in the context of air travel / on planes.”
飛行機の中では – specifically inside the cabin.

In practice, both will be understood as “when I fly / when I’m on a plane,” and both are natural here. The difference is small.

Could I use いい instead of 好き here? What’s the difference between 好きです and いいです?

Both can work, but the nuance changes slightly.

Original:

窓側の席のほうが好きです。
→ “I like the window seat more.”

With いい:

窓側の席のほうがいいです。
→ “The window seat is better (for me). / I’d rather have the window seat.”

好きです focuses on personal liking / fondness.
いいです focuses more on preference / being better, more suitable, more desirable.

In conversation:

When talking about preferences in general (likes/dislikes), 好きです is perfect.
When choosing or requesting something (e.g., at check-in), 窓側の席のほうがいいです sounds very natural, like “I’d prefer a window seat.”