'I secure the best seat on a plane by doing this one simple check-in strategy'
Paying for a seat on a plane is an added expense that many travellers prefer to avoid, but one expert has shared how to travel in comfort without spending any money.
After paying for your flight and any checked luggage, many of us would prefer to not fork out even more for a seat. But waiting to be assigned a random seat can often mean you end up squished in between strangers, making for a rather uncomfortable journey, especially if you've got a long way to go.
While some airlines like British Airways will let you choose a seat if you pay for luggage, there's plenty of packing tips and tricks out there which means many travellers stick to hand luggage. With recent reports that travellers who sit in an unassigned seat in the hopes it might be free could face a hefty fine for what's being dubbed seat squatting, there's one more secure way of grabbing a good seat.
Chelsea Dickenson is known for sharing budget travel advice on her blog Holiday Expert, and in a recent article for Metro, she revealed the easy way to get the best seat on the plane without having to spare a single penny.
However, she warned that this isn't for those who get easy stressed when travelling, as it requires leaving things quite last minute.
Referring to her tactic as "check-in chicken", Chelsea explained that the trick to getting the best seat on the plane is done by delaying online check-in until the last possible moment.
Chelsea said: "After years of flying on a budget, I've learned a thing or two about how they operate. And more often than not, my method lands me a seat with extra legroom without paying a penny", reports the Express.
However, this strategy won't be suitable for those travelling in groups, particularly families who wish to be seated together.
If you want to sit together but don't want to fork out extra for seats, Money Saving Expert instead recommends groups of travellers check-in as soon as you're able to.
In a post on their website, they explained all major airlines except Ryanair will attempt to seat groups on the same booking together, provided there are seats available next to each other that other passengers haven't already reserved.
But if you are travelling alone, a game of check-in chicken could work in your favour, particularly if you end up at the front of the aircraft with extra leg room, or in a window seat.
However, Chelsea cautioned that travellers "need a cool head, a charged phone and very firm grasp on when online check-in closes" to do this successfully, and check-in times can differ depending on the airline.
The savvy traveller also pointed out that she primarily employs this tactic, which she refers to as one of her "favourite budget travel joys", when flying with budget carriers such as Ryanair or Wizz Air, noting that airlines like easyJet and British Airways don't typically allocate the less desirable seats initially.
Once check-in has opened, which is typically 24 hours before your flight departs, Chelsea said she keeps monitoring the seat map throughout the day, and proceeds with the check-in when she's satisfied with the remaining seat options.
However, the secret to doing this is to not actually leave it to the very last minute, which could see you having to pay a fee at the airport, and likely more than you would have if you'd simply paid for a seat.
Chelsea clarified that: "I often find that by six hours to go there's only 'good' seats left - ones with extra legroom, seats on the front rows or simply non-middle aisle seats," and she recommended setting alarms to make sure you don't forget.