A passenger shared her controversial travel tip (stock image) (Image: aire images via Getty Images)
Budget airlines are notorious for charging steep fees for seat selection, deliberately splitting up travelling companions, and automatically assigning the dreaded middle seats first, in hopes that frustrated passengers will pay to upgrade.
But a viral travel expert has revealed a savvy trick to secure premium seats for free – provided you are willing to play a high-stakes game of ‘check in chicken’.
Budget travel content creator Chelsea, who garnered more than 5.5 million likes on TikTok, claims that procrastination is your best weapon against airline algorithms. Her strategy is simple – wait as long as possible before checking in.
Because airlines routinely allocate the least appealing seats first, the only ones left as the check-in window draws to a close are typically the more expensive options – such as those at the front of the cabin or those offering extra legroom.
Detailing a recent trip with Wizz Air, Chelsea explained that she held her nerve and checked in just five hours before departure.
“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 revealed.
The gamble paid off, and she was automatically allocated two highly sought-after seats with extra legroom completely free of charge.
Additionally, some have claimed this trick has worked well for them on Ryanair journeys too.
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@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
The risks of ‘check in chicken’
While the hack can save you a small fortune, Chelsea warned that it comes with a major catch.
Flights are sometimes overbooked, on the assumption that a small percentage of passengers will be ‘no-shows’. If you leave checking in until the absolute last minute, you risk being bumped from the flight entirely.
To mitigate this, she urged travellers to keep a close eye on the airline’s live seating plan throughout the day, holding off until only the premium seats remain available.
Another major drawback of checking in late is that you will likely be placed in the final boarding group, meaning the overhead lockers will already be completely full by the time you step onto the aircraft.
As a result, you are far more likely to have your carefully packed hand luggage snatched away at the gate and placed in the hold, adding an annoying wait at the baggage carousel upon arrival.
Despite the downsides of ‘check in chicken’, the controversial tactic sparked a fierce online debate. Some savvy holidaymakers begged the creator to keep the trick quiet.
“Stop telling everyone,” one user pleaded, while another confirmed the hack’s success, adding: “No don’t wreck this hack – I got 29E on Sunday by checking in an hour before it shut.”
However, the algorithm doesn’t always play by the rules. One commenter shared a completely contrasting experience, writing: “I had the exact opposite experience, checked in the minute the flight opened and they put me in the exit row for free.”
Meanwhile, another user shared a stark warning for anyone planning to test their luck: “Definitely not worth it. I know someone who tried this and was left with no seat and had to wait until the next flight the next day.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
