If, like me, you just love a bargain getaway, you’ll know the pain of being charged extra to sit somewhere half decent on the plane.
But what if you could hack the system, and get a great seat without having to pay extra for it? Well, that’s where a little game called Check-in Chicken comes in.
And I played it recently on my Jet2 flight – but how did I get on?!
What Is Check-in Chicken?
I’ve previously shared how a little-known seat hack – dubbed Check-In Chicken – can work on some budget airlines.
Check-In Chicken is basically a game of nerves. It’s a strategy that involves you leaving online check-in as late as possible, in the hope of getting a better seat.
The logic behind this is that airlines generally hold back the better seats in the hope that people will pay a premium for them. And because of this, they dish out the worst seats first – such as the middle seat and the seats at the back of the plane.
BUT if no one ends up paying for them, then they’re often still available if you leave checking until last minute.
Of course, it’s not called ‘chicken’ for no reason so there is a little bit of risk involved…
What risks are there for playing Check-in Chicken?
The main risk with Check-In Chicken is that if you leave it too late, you could forget to check in on time and may be charged to check in at the airport.
Or even worse, you could miss out on a seat… completely.
This is because some airlines overbook flights – their rationale is that on average 5% of passengers don’t show up for a flight, so it’s worth them doing it. But for you, it means there’s a small risk that if you leave it till the last minute to check in, you could find there are no seats left.
If this happens, you may have to wait to see if another passenger doesn’t show up. If the plane is still full, then you may not be able to get on the plane.
If this does happen, the airline is responsible – they will not only need to get you to your destination, but also pay you compensation. So make sure you know your rights!
This all sounds a bit scary, but the reason airlines overbook is because it normally works out for everyone.
But perhaps if you know you’re on a very busy and popular flight, then it’s not the time to try out Check-in Chicken for the first time!!
How can you make Check-In Chicken less risky?
The best way to get around the potential risks – if you decide to ‘play’ – is to keep checking the seats throughout the day and to not actually leave it until the last moment. That way you can check in when you’re happy with what seats are left, as often there can be a few good ones available at the end.
Many times have I got an extra legroom seat 6 or 7 hours before online check in closes.
Does Check-in Chicken work for all airlines?
I’ve played Check-in Chicken on Ryanair and WizzAir before, where they not only actively dish out the worst seats first, but they also actively split you and your travel party up.
I’ve had a pretty good success rate, with getting extra legroom over ten times!!
@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 - Holiday Expert
However, when asked, I’ve often advised against playing it on other airlines, especially when flying with someone else, as they do not actively split you and your travel party up in the same way.
Therefore, you’re more likely to be sat with your friend and family when flying with the likes easyJet, British Airways and Jet2.
However, there could still be potential for Check-in Chicken if you are flying alone…
Does Check-in Chicken work on a Jet2 flight?
So I was checking the seat plan for my Jet2 flight throughout the day.
12 hours before online check in closed, there were a few seats still available towards the back of the plane – basically what I would deem as low value seats.
But I decided to hold out to see what seats were dished out first.
And low and behold, the seats towards the back of the plane started to disappear hour by hour. At 5 hours before online check in closed, there were only a handful of seats available left at the front of the plane.
Since it was nearing 1 am and I had to be up soon for my flight, I decided to cash my chips in. Now, there was still one seat left available that wasn’t extra legroom – 2C -and I just knew if the theory made sense that I was gonna get given that seat because technically it was the ‘worst’ seat left. So I went through the check-in process and you never guess what?
I got given… 2C.
It may not have been an extra legroom seat, but it was still a prime seat upfront that I did not have to pay for in fact when I checked the prices this seat was worth… £15.
Nothing Beats Check-In Chicken on a Jet2 Holiday
So there you have it. I’m happy to report that Check-in Chicken does work with Jet2 – at least this time.
Will I keep playing Check-in Chicken? Absolutely. But what I really want to know is – have you ever played Check-in Chicken? And did you win, or did the airline call your bluff?!
Date
Airline
Seats
Money Saved
