A new travel hack has taken flight on TikTok. The trend allows travelers a chance at better airplane seats without the extra cost.

Dubbed “Check-in Chicken,” this boarding strategy is causing quite a stir in the air travel community and leaving many wondering if it’s too good to be true. As with any travel hack, it’s essential to weigh the potential benefits against the risks and make an informed decision based on individual circumstances and comfort levels.

What Is Check-In Chicken?

Check-in Chicken is the brainchild of Chelsea Dickenson, a British budget travel expert. Dickenson has been experimenting with this technique on various flights. The concept is simple yet daring: delay your check-in until close to departure time, betting on the airline’s seat assignment algorithm to work in your favor.

Dickenson explains that airlines typically assign less desirable seats – think middle seats or those at the back of the plane – to passengers who check in early. The strategy banks on the hope that only premium seats will be left by the time you check in. This forces the airline to assign you a better spot at no extra cost.

@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 – Cheap Holiday Expert

The key to successfully playing Check-in Chicken lies in timing and a bit of luck. Dickenson recommends monitoring the online seating chart as soon as check-in opens, usually 24 hours before the flight. The sweet spot for checking in, according to her experience, is typically six to eight hours before takeoff. However, this game of chicken comes with risks. If you wait too long and the flight is overbooked, you might find yourself bumped to a later flight.

Does Check-In Chicken Really Work?

Surprisingly, Dickenson reports a high success rate. “I’ve tried this hack on over 10 flights and the success rate is pretty high,” she told Good Morning America. “I’d say it has worked nine out of 10 times.” In one instance, she scored extra legroom seats on a Wizz Air flight from Tallinn to London by checking in just 5½ hours before departure.

While Check-in Chicken might seem like a golden ticket to better seats, it has drawbacks. The strategy works best on nearly full flights, increasing the risk of overbooking. For travelers with strict itineraries, the potential of being bumped to a later flight might outweigh the benefits of a slightly more comfortable seat.

So, experts suggest alternative approaches for those who find Check-in Chicken too risky. One method involves purchasing a ticket with seat selection privileges and checking the seating chart 24 hours before the flight. As other passengers change their seats or get upgraded, better options might become available.

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