A travel expert has shared their top flight secret for nabbing the best seats – and it turns out procrastination might just be your new travel best friend.
We all know how a long-haul flight can turn from exciting to excruciating as the hours tick by, leaving us desperate for a stretch and silently vying for that coveted extra legroom. Many passengers cough up additional fees to dodge less desirable spots or to ensure proximity to the toilets or the anticipated snack cart.
But budget travel content creator Chelsea suggests you might not have to fork out more for these prime spots if you follow her ‘Check in Chicken’ technique. The strategy exploits airlines’ penchant for charging more for those sought-after seats, scattering groups throughout the plane, and doling out the less appealing seats first.
As check-in closes, the remaining seats tend to be the more desirable ones — like those with extra legroom, states Travel Republic. Amassing over 5.5 million likes on TikTok, Chelsea advises that showing up late to check in could play to your advantage, potentially scoring you premium upfront seating or much-needed extra legroom. It’s about embracing the gamble, she encourages.
Chelsea also noted that Ryanair and Wizz Air both charge for seats, actively split up people travelling together, and often place people in “bad seats”, she claims.
Chelsea recently shared her experience with Wizz Air, where she opted to check in just five hours before her flight. She revealed: “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 pointed out that by holding off on checking in, passengers might end up with better seats, but warned against waiting too long to avoid being left without a seat at all. “Ultimately, you do not want to be left without a seat,” she remarked.
After taking the risk and checking in late, Chelsea was pleased to find two remaining seats which offered extra legroom. “It works but it definitely comes with a small risk,” she admitted.
She also explained the gamble involved: “If 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.”
Chelsea advised others to monitor the seating plan throughout the day and to check in when only desirable seats are available. The strategy has garnered mixed reactions online, with one person commenting: “I’ve done this before a few times and it does work! Just a risk though.”
Another urged her to keep quiet about the tactic, and said: “Stop telling everyone.” Another wrote: “No don’t wreck this hack – I got 29E on Sunday by checking in an hour before it shut.”
However, another commenter had a contrasting experience, saying: “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 user cautioned: “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.”