Get the best plane seat using simple hack – and why you should never check in early
If you're after the best seat on a plane, there's a method you can use to ensure you get the cream of the crop.
A travel guru has shared her top tip for securing the best seats on a plane without spending a penny extra – and it involves playing a game of 'Check in Chicken'.
For those who love going abroad, the allure of jet-setting can quickly be dampened by the cramped conditions of economy seating. Many passengers pay additional fees to dodge undesirable spots or to ensure proximity to conveniences like the toilets or the food cart.
But Chelsea, a thrifty travel expert with a whopping 5.5 million TikTok likes, swears by her strategy that means she doesn't need to pay more for prime seating. She says airlines deliberately separate groups and dole out less appealing seats. As check-in closes, the remaining seats tend to be the more desirable ones — like those with extra legroom, states Travel Republic.
But Chelsea insists those who dare to check in at the eleventh hour might snag superior seating arrangements, such as front-row or extra legroom spots.
Chelsea also noted the likes of Ryanair and Wizz Air both charge for seats, actively split up people travelling together, and often place people in "bad seats", she claims.
The frequent flyer recently shared her experience with Wizz Air. She revealed that she didn't check in until about five hours before her flight.
"I have not checked in yet as essentially what they do is palm off middle seats or the back of the plane in the hope that you will then pay to change your seat," she explained. Chelsea suggested that if passengers wait and don't rush to check in, they might end up with better seats.
However, she warned against leaving it too late as there's a risk of being left without a seat. "Ultimately, you do not want to be left without a seat," she cautioned.
After checking in just a few hours prior to her flight, Chelsea discovered that only two seats were left on the entire plane. Despite the risk, she managed to secure two extra legroom spots. "It works but it definitely comes with a small risk," she admitted.
@cheapholidayexpert Was this too last minute?! Send this to someone who loves to leave checking in a little too late… WHAT IS CHECK IN CHICKEN? Check in Chicken is when you leave your online check in for Wizz Air and Ryanair late in the hope that you get allocated a better seat. WHY DO YOU GET A BETTER SEAT IF YOU L EAVE CHECK IN LATE? Wizz Air and Ryanair both do three things: 1. They charge for seats 2. They actively split up people travelling together 3. They often place people in ‘bad seats’ - i.e. middle seats and those away from the exits All of this means that as time ticks on, often the seats that are left available are the ‘good seats’ - i.e. upfront and extra legroom DOES IT ACTUALLY WORK? Yep! I actually can’t remember the last time I didn’t get an extra legroom seat because of doing this!! BUT WHAT’S THE RISK? The small risk - as you have seen in this video - is that you leave check in too late and there’s no seats left. This is because airlines can overbook planes due to the chance that a small percentage of passengers won’t show up for the flight. Now, technically the airline shouldn’t automatically boot off those that were last to check in - they’re supposed to ask if anyone is willing to give up their seat first (they get another flight plus compensation so some may well go for it) but often they just stick it on those who have left check in chicken a little too late… HOW BIG IS THE RISK?! Wizz Air and Ryanair both have a fairly high average load factor - around 94% - and so planes are often close to full. However, it is true that some passengers don’t show up and there are still plenty of flights that aren’t completely full. Overall, they wouldn’t overbook if they were losing money on the situation - which they would be if it happened often since they’d need to rebook your flight, put you up in accommodation if needed and give you compensation. MY TOP TIP Don’t leave Check in Chicken until the last moment - you need to be checking the seating plan throughout the day and check in when only good seats are left! LET ME KNOW… Would you do this?! And has anyone ever been on an overbooked plane?! #wizzair #checkin #overbookedflight ♬ original sound - Cheap Holiday Expert
She further advised: "Don't leave Check in Chicken until the last moment - you need to be checking the seating plan throughout the day and check in when only good seats are left! " Her advice sparked a flurry of comments.
One person said: "I've done this before a few times and it does work! Just a risk though."
Another pleaded: "Stop telling everyone," while another added: "No don't wreck this hack – I got 29E on Sunday by checking in an hour before it shut,".
However, another traveller had a different tale to tell: "I had the exact opposite experience, checked in the minute the flight opened and they put me in the exit row for free."
Meanwhile, a different passenger weighed in on the debate, adding: "Definitely not worth it. I know someone who tried this and was left with no seat and had to wait till the next flight the next day."
