TikTok travel hack to get 'whole row to yourself'
With holiday travel on the cards once again, a TikTok user has shared their hack for snagging the 'whole row' of airline seats for themselves and their flight buddy.
Chelsea Dickenson, who posts videos as @cheapholidayexpert, showed how she managed to keep the middle seat in a row of three free on a recent trip with her boyfriend.
'Whole row' hack
A key part of the hack, Chelsea explained, happened when booking their flights from London's Heathrow to Corfu, Greece.
First, she deliberately selected row 13, which she says is often avoided as "lots of people think its unlucky". If the superstitious bet doesn't pay off, Chelsea advised people to try looking for seats further back in the aircraft.
Then, instead of choosing two sets next to each other, she chose the aisle and the window seat, leaving the middle free.
"When selecting your seats, you're looking for a free row, but book the aisle and the window, leaving the middle seat free in between you," she said.
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"The theory here is that someone is much less likely to book a seat in between two strangers and they'll opt for another row," she added.
That's exactly what happened when Chelsea and her boyfriend boarded the flight, meaning they had the luxury of a spare seat between them to spread out.
"We've bloody smashed it. So much space," she remarked before takeoff.
She explained that it's not the end of the world if another flyer does book that middle seat, as you can simply ask if you can switch seats so you can be next to your partner.
'Theory is correct'
The reaction from fellow TikTok users was mixed, with some blown away with the news.
"Why did we never do this?" asked one user, tagging their friend.
"Don't tell people!!!" wrote another in mock outrage.
A frequent flyer pointed out a flaw in Chelsea's strategy;
"Been doing this for the last 7-8 years. Unfortunately it works half the time as planes are often fully occupied, but the theory is correct," they wrote.
"Yep, I'd say my success rate is about 60%," Chelsea replied.
One TikTok user couldn't resist the funny side, and joked, "Then you get sucked out the window because you picked unlucky 13!"
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