A travel expert has shared a "genius" hack that allows holidaymakers to secure better seats on budget airlines like Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air without paying extra. Rob Adcock, who posts travel content to his 141,000 Instagram followers, revealed the trick he has used for "literally years" to cut costs.
How the Hack Works
In a recent video, Rob explained: "Does everyone do this Ryanair seat hack or am I an actual genius? [Get] a better seat and it will not cost you a single penny." He recommends checking in as normal and selecting the free, randomly-allocated seat option instead of paying to choose a specific seat.
Rob continued: "Check-in closes online two hours before the flight departs so just before that go back into the app, click manage booking, then go to add or change seats. Then it's going to show you a map of all the empty seats that are on the flight. Remember those seats."
After noting the empty seats, users should close the app without making any changes or payments. Rob added: "Then when you get on the plane go and find those seats that you saw that were empty - ideally a full row or extra leg room - and just brazenly sit in it, safe in the knowledge that that seat is empty."
Tips and Warnings
Rob revealed he has successfully used this trick for "literally years" and noted that flight attendants have never asked for his seat number. However, he advised caution: "Just be careful of the front five or back five rows on the plane. Sometimes they check people for weight distribution so stay away from those."
Although the video focused on Ryanair, Rob noted in the caption that the trick applies to other airlines too. He wrote: "Best case? Extra leg room. Empty row. Window seat. No stranger falling asleep on your shoulder. Worst case? You go back to your original seat and carry on with your life. This obviously won't magically create business class on a full flight... but for budget airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air, it's honestly elite behaviour."
Airlines Respond
Ryanair and Wizz Air did not respond to requests for comment. However, an easyJet spokesperson said: "We allocate seats for free and also provide the customers with the option to choose a specific seat when booking for a small fee. While we require customers to sit in their allocated seats for safety reasons, should customers like to move after take-off, our crew will be happy to help."
