No Available Seats? No Problem!

(2019 Edit: If you booked an Alaska Airlines’ Saver Ticket, the information does not apply. Please read Alaska Airlines’ Saver Ticket — Deal or No Deal?)

As I was standing in line for the restroom on my recent flight home from Maui, another woman and I started up a conversation about how terrible the seats next to the restrooms were (unless you enjoy rear ends in your face the entire flight). She said, “Well, I guess these are the unlucky ones that bought their tickets late when there were no seats available.” I corrected her with this secret:

SECRET: Most airlines release additional seats 24 hours prior to departure. If you are fast on the computer, you can switch your last minute booked seats (or select seats if none were available when booking).

Why do they do this, you ask? Many airlines hold premium seats (extra legroom, front of the plane, emergency row and bulkhead) back for elites or to sell for an extra fee in advance, but come check-in time this real estate is fair game. Checking in exactly 24 hours prior to departure will give you first dibs at a new seat. You may even get lucky and score a premium seat for no extra charge. Elite members may also be getting upgraded to a premium cabin, so some better economy seats may open up. Checking in early can’t hurt so you might as well give it a shot.

I continued to tell the woman how when I bought a last minute ticket there were no seats available (well, no “free” ones). I could have paid $99 to get a seat assigned or risk it and go “seat-assignmentless.” I chose the latter. However, I checked for seats again about 36 hours in advance and scored an aisle seat. I knew I had a tolerable seat, but I was greedy and wanted to see if I could do better. At the 24 hour mark, I logged in again and SCORE…I got an aisle, emergency row for no extra charge! To find out which seats on the plane are the best, read this post.

Parents!

Stressing because your last minute trip resulted in the family being separated and seated randomly throughout the plane? Take a deep breath and remember the 24 hour rule. If there are no seats available together 24 hours out, at least try and get family members in pairs.

When you get to the airport, tell the agent at the ticket counter when checking in (the earlier you check in, the better) your situation. Be sure to point out if you are traveling with any minors. They probably won’t guarantee any seat changes there (if you are still in this situation, the flight is probably full), and they will tell you to check in at the gate. The gate agent will most likely keep your tickets as they work their magic and try and move people around. I’ve had great success so have faith!

Finally, if you still can’t get together prior to boarding, go ahead and ask the people around you if anyone would be willing to switch seats. If you ask nicely, most people generally don’t mind moving seats as long as they get a comparable seat combination (window + middle for window + middle a few rows one way or the other, for example). The important thing to remember is to stay calm, be polite and always say please and thank you or Mahalo!