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.
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.”