Good seats free

tryin

Hi everyone

Here's a great way to get the best seats on budget airlines without paying, if you are willing to spend the time and effort.

Before you check in, start the process of booking a ticket for that flight. Repeat this many times (in different windows), each time choosing the seats you don't want. (Remember, you can book for quite a few people in one booking). Repeat this until the only seat left is the one you want, then check-in. Obviously, this is only practical on fairly busy flights, and you have to wait till a lot of people have already checked in and have been allocated seats.

My friend told me he did this successfully, although I don't remember which airline it was (maybe ryanair). I don't think it works on all airlines.

If you have any success with this, please let us know which airline it was.

Westin

...what a faff.

tryin

Indeed. Thats why I wrote 'if your willing to put in the time and effort'. But if you do it close enough to the flight, when most of the seats are taken, it won't take so long. Could be worth it, especially on longer flights.

budgetflyer

Opening multiple windows on Ryanair normally ends badly

bagand96

Best way to get the good seats free on Ryanair is to leave it late to check in. Due to their policy of allocating the worst seats first, and deliberately splitting parties up, if you leave it until 6 or so hours before check in, on a busy flight you'll often find only exit or bulkhead rows remaining.

They can't force you to pay for them so you get allocated for free.

tryin

budgetflyer wrote: »

Opening multiple windows on Ryanair normally ends badly

Why, what happens?

photome

tryin wrote: »

Why, what happens?

Perhaps he means people make mistakes with multiple windows open and then there is only one winner

budgetflyer

tryin wrote: »

Why, what happens?

The pages can synchronise with each other ,so say you have seat 1c open in one window, 25A in another. You click on to book 1c but actually book 25a.
It's only a seat, so no big deal but it can be disastrous if searching multiple dates.

tryin

That can only happen if you continue the booking process. If you just leave the old window like it was without clicking continue or whatever, it should leave that seat as booked. And then when you check in that seat won't be available.

Ballard

budgetflyer wrote: »

Opening multiple windows on Ryanair normally ends badly

Opening windows on any flight is to be discouraged. It’ll get breezy and very chilly.

comeandgo

I'm feeling rather thick. I have no idea what you mean. "Before you check in start the process of booking a ticket for that flight."
Surely the first thing you have to do is get a ticket ie book a flight before you even think of checking in? And the longer you leave booking a flight, the more expensive it gets? Sorry I'll just take my seat and go.