Flight seat tip guarantees passengers ‘better options by default’ – and for free

Martin Lewis explains how to reserve FREE plane seats

All passengers who haven’t selected seats on their flight will be allocated one before departure, though it could mean that groups travelling together are separated.

While some airlines allow free seat selection, many budget airlines including easyJet and Ryanair charge passengers extra for the luxury.

But according to Mercedes Zach, a travel expert at Asaptickets, there’s an easy way to avoid paying more – and still get the best seats.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, she said: “Selecting the best and most comfortable seat on a plane is an important part of booking a flight, especially when it comes to long-haul flights.

“In most cases, you will be able to check out the plane seat map and select your preferred seat before booking the tickets, but one travel hack not many passengers take advantage of is an early check-in.”

The travel expert continued: “When you don’t have an assigned seat and you’re among the first ones to check in, you’ll get offered one of the better options by default.”

It’s not just Mercedes who swears by the hack. Anne Sutherland, a small business owner and travel destination expert for Japan agreed that it is a foolproof method to dodge fees.

She told Express.co.uk: “Fun fact: Airlines often hold a modest stash of free seats at booking time, so being an early bird does pay off. 

“Take it from me, my family and I learned it the hard way when we chose our seats too close to our Osaka trip. To cut a long story short, we were spread across the plane – quite the memorable ride, I must say!”

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As well as nabbing a good spot on the plane, early bird passengers can also try their luck in getting a better flight experience, according to Mercedes.

She said: “Those booking a flight through a travel agent can even put in a request for a potential upgrade. Most airlines allow you to check in online 24 hours before the flight, so I suggest doing that as soon as the check-in opens.

“That way you’ll almost surely be seated with your travel companion since you’ll be among the first to select seats.”

When it comes to low-budget airlines that do charge extra for seat selection, travellers can take advantage of the allocation process used by the flight carrier.

The Asaptickets expert explained: “There are also some low-budget airlines that will assign random seats even for passengers from a single reservation, in order to motivate you to pay extra.

“My tip is to try reserving the window and aisle of an empty row. If someone ends up in that seat, they most likely won’t mind switching with one of you so you and your companion can be side by side.

“Or you can also choose two empty aisle seats across from one another so you can sit together but can both move around the plane easily.

“If you book your seats more towards the end of the plane, there is a higher chance that no one else will select the same row unless the flight is fully booked.”

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