I’m a holiday expert… there’s a hack that could land you the best seat on the plane – but there is a catch

A new travel trick can help you get the best seat on the plane, but it’s not without risks.

The new trend known as “check-in chicken” has people waiting until the last minute to check in so they can get a nicer seat.

The theory stems from the belief that some airlines first allocate the worst seats on planes to encourage passengers to pay for better seats.

However, this is an idea that has been refuted by numerous different low-cost airlines over the years.

One of those people who believes in this trend is Chelsea Dickenson, who runs the website Cheap Holiday Expert.

She claims that some low-cost airlines ‘actively split up people booked together if they choose to ‘skip’ seat selection – because it costs you money to then have to pay for seats together.

“In fact, not only will they split you up, but they will often put at least one of you in a ‘bad’ seat, which is often a middle seat or near the toilets at the back of the plane. Or they just place you far away from each other.

‘For solo travellers, there is a good chance that you will get a middle seat in a less desirable location, for example not at the front.’

Using this idea, you can theoretically avoid selecting a less desirable seat, such as in the middle of the plane, when seats are automatically assigned.

Ms Dickenson continued: ‘I’ve been playing check-in chicken for years – even before I knew it had a funny name – and it has a pretty high success rate.

“I’d say it’s worked for me about nine times so far. The most important thing is not to leave it too last minute.

“What I do is check the seat plan all day before my flight, and if I’m happy with the remaining seat selection, then I check in.”

However, there are other times on a flight when it can be a good idea to simply check in without paying for a seat.

For example, on a recent flight from Ireland to London, this author was assigned a random seat after choosing not to pay the extra charge for one seat – and was given a seat with extra legroom because no other passengers wanted to go to the train’s emergency exit to sit. aeroplane.

However, this tactic comes with an inherent risk, as you may not be able to board all the way once every passenger has checked in and selected a seat for their journey.

The new trend known as ‘check-in chicken’ sees people waiting until the last minute to check in so they can get a nicer seat (File image)

Another point to keep in mind is that it is unlikely that you will be able to get a seat with friends or family.

The only way to guarantee this on certain airlines is to pay the price associated with having multiple seats together.

Many planes overbook their flights – with Wizz Air and Ryanair having an average load factor of around 94 percent – ​​so this is not impossible.

if you go to the check-in counter at the airport, you may still be able to get a seat on the plane if there are no-shows – which is often the case on many flights.