What is check-in chicken? Travel experts weigh in on viral legroom seat assignment tactic
Katy Nastro explained the possible risks and rewards.
The colloquial saying "no risk, no reward" is resonating with many travelers hoping to reap the benefits of a belated flight check-in to potentially score a better seat assignment at the last minute.
What is check-in chicken? How the seat assignment strategy actually works
Travel expert Chelsea Dickenson writes about ways to save on various legs of vacations, from how to get hotel upgrades and tips to track luggage. The self-titled "cheap holiday expert" recently shared her airline "check-in chicken" strategy on TikTok -- a strategy that has at times helped to secure extra legroom and since exploded in popularity online.
Less than six hours before a recent flight, Dickenson showed herself checking in to see what seats were still available, and to avoid possibly getting bumped if the airline had overbooked the flight.
She told "Good Morning America" that her now-viral strategy has worked 9 out of 10 times on foreign carriers.
"My top tip is that I do not wait until the last possible moment, because I am scared of the flight being overbooked," she said. "Instead, I am checking on it throughout the day and I'll wait until there are just the good seats left and that's my chance to check-in."
As travel expert Katy Nastro explained to "GMA," "The minute you hit purchase on a flight, you are entitled to a seat. However, if you aren't lucky enough to be able to choose for free or are willing to pay for good-seat security, you could end up with the dreaded middle seat."
Check-in chicken "is not a new strategy -- especially for frequent flyers," the Going Travel App spokesperson added. "It's often a tip we impart to travelers who don't want to shell out extra money for a better spot on the plane."
Can you actually 'out-chicken' an airline on seat assignments?
While Dickenson's delayed check-in strategy on a mostly full flight resulted in a coveted exit-row seat, Nastro said "this is certainly not always the case."
"Sometimes, waiting for the final hour results in not better seats but worse seats when all the more premium options get scooped up by those who fall for a last-minute upsell," she said. "Also, as more and more people try to employ this trick, it may become harder to out-chicken the seat map."
Scott Keyes, the founder of Going, formerly Scott's Cheap Flights, explained to "GMA" that in general, "the technology that U.S. airlines use is going to be better than those used by European airlines. And so you probably have a little bit less success at being able to get one of those coveted window or aisle seats by playing check-in chicken" with domestic airlines.
Caveats and risks of check-in chicken
This mostly works for budget airlines, as Dickenson has experienced, and if you're traveling solo. If you're with a group, it can be much harder to try to secure multiple seats together.
"If you are leaving it until the last minute there is a small chance that you will not get assigned a seat," she told "GMA." "If there is overbooking and there are too many passengers there, somebody is going to get bumped to the next flight. It could be you."
Tips to save last-minute on holiday flights
As the holiday season travel surge ramps up, Keyes said a version of this strategy could be helpful for savvy travelers to score some last-minute savings.
"I would recommend not just employing check in chicken, but also making sure that you're looking at the seat map in the days leading up to your flight, because you might find a much better deal," he said.
The Points Guy managing editor Clint Henderson recently noted that getting price adjustments on airfare after you've booked is also easier than ever.
"After the pandemic, the airlines have gotten much more liberal about giving you trip credits or refunds," Henderson said. "If you see that price drop, go back to the airline. They'll either give you a trip credit and if they won't, cancel the ticket and rebook."
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