As a frequent traveller, I think there’s nothing worse than being stuck in the middle seat on an airline, especially if you’re on a budget airline with limited legroom and no perks.
What if you could somehow bag a window seat without paying or get a seat upgrade without paying a premium for extra legroom but have to play a game of chicken with the airline?
The latest travel hack taking over TikTok is the concept of ‘Check-in Chicken’, where risk-taking travellers wait until the last possible moment to check in, hoping to be assigned a better seat.
Savvy travellers will already be familiar with airlines’ automatic seat-assignment procedures and know how to game the system.
Early in the check-in process, airlines will allocate the worst economy seats (think middle seats, next to the loo) to passengers who check in first, hoping this will prompt passengers to pay for better seats or to sit with travel companions.
If you can hold your nerve and wait to check in and select seats, you might get lucky and bag a better seat for no extra cost.
Can you hold your nerve and wait to check-in?
This cheeky hack has been popularised by travel blogger Chelsea Dickenson, Founder of Cheap Holiday Expert, who recently shared her airline “check-in chicken” strategy on TikTok.
In the viral video, Chelsea says that airlines “palm off the middle seats or the back of the plane, in the hope that you will then pay to change your seat.”
She adds that if you “sit tight and wait”, the airline seats will all “start to go” and the only ones left are extra legroom seats and the ones at the front of the plane.
With just five and a half hours left to check in to a Wizz Air flight, Chelsea attempts to check in and finds that just two seats are left on the plane. By playing ‘chicken,’ the travel expert bags the last two seats–with extra legroom– at no additional cost.
She told US TV show Good Morning America that her seating strategy has worked nine out of ten times on foreign carriers.
She said: “My top tip is that I do not wait until the last possible moment because I am scared of the flight being overbooked.
“Instead, I am checking on it throughout the day, and I’ll wait until there are just the good seats left, and that’s my chance to check-in.”
As Chelsea points out, this travel hack does come with a certain amount of risk. If the plane is overbooked and you check in too late to secure a seat, you could get bumped from your flight.
While you can get compensation or rebook on a different flight, you’ll miss part of your trip, which can be problematic if you are on a strict itinerary.
Smarter Ways to Secure a Better Seat
If playing ‘Check-in Chicken’ feels too risky, there are more reliable ways to secure better seats on airlines like EasyJet and Wizz Air that are less of a gamble.
Here are some practical options:
- Opt for Wizz Air Seat Selection Bundles or Privilege Pass
Wizz Air offers several bundles and add-ons that allow travellers to select better seats in advance:
- WIZZ Go: This bundle includes free seat selection, although it excludes premium options like front-row and extra legroom seats.
- WIZZ Plus: A more comprehensive bundle that includes free seat selection in all categories, including front-row and extra legroom seats.
- Privilege Pass: For frequent travellers, the Privilege Pass offers unlimited free seat selection, including premium seats such as front-row and extra legroom, along with priority boarding.
These options help you secure better seats and provide added benefits like flexibility and priority services, making them ideal for frequent or budget travellers.
- Book Seat Upgrades During Promotions or Sales
Both EasyJet and Wizz Air periodically run promotions that discount seat upgrades. Booking during these sales can secure more desirable seating, such as extra legroom or front-row seats, at a lower cost.
- Early Check-in for Free Seats
While Wizz Air and EasyJet typically assign the least favourable seats to passengers checking in early, some airlines occasionally offer better free seats at the start of the check-in window. This can be a risk-free way to grab a window or aisle seat without paying extra, provided you check in as soon as it opens.