A TikTok creator posted a viral video sharing a travel hack so you never have to sit in a middle seat on a flight.
Bethany (@bxwise) has reached over 386,000 views and 16,000 likes on her video as of publication.
“You know when it’s 24 hours before your flight, and then you get to check in, and that’s how you find out what seat you’re in?” Bethany began. “I have never been randomly assigned to a middle seat, and this is how I keep doing it.”
According to Bethany, the process for her hack starts when booking a ticket, not at check-in. She said you should skip the option if you’re asked whether you want to pick your seat while booking.
“Don’t even look at that,” she said while covering her eyes with her hand.
Then, 24 hours before the flight opens, she said you need to be “on check-in immediately” to receive your seat assignment. “You will get an aisle or a window,” she assured.
But, if you did a “sneaky peek” at the different seats before check-in and didn’t pay for the one you want, “you are put in the middle,” she said.
@bxwise an overthinker, outthinking the airlines 🫡 #traveltiktok #travellife #travelhack #budgettraveltips #budgettravel #funny #airporthacks #traveltips #middleseatlottery #middleseatistheworst #randomseats #airlinehacks #airlinetiktok ♬ original sound – Bethany x
“How do we know this?” Bethany continued. “I did it one time. The last flight that I booked, … I looked. That was the first time I ever got a middle seat.”
Before ending her video, Bethany asked viewers who wanted to be “brave” and take a peek without buying a seat to let her know whether they proved her wrong.
One viewer left a different tip about choosing seats in Bethany’s comments section. “My trick is to wait until later on to check in,” they wrote. “I assume airlines will assign sweats with the least value first and keep nicer ones open to buy.”
“I like that! Very brave of you!!” Bethany replied.
Another suggested, “I just don’t pick a seat ever and often get upgraded because they run out of normal coach seats.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Bethany via TikTok direct message.