So I’ve looked at flights and unfortunately ryanair is the only airline that does the flights at a reasonable time on the days I need/want to travel on.

I get to starting the process past just looking at prices and discover that I have to pay minimum £8 to select a seat so I can check in 60 days before the flight. Otherwise, I can only check in 24h before the flight. I don’t typically travel short-haul flights so I’m not very good with budget airlines and how they work, hence why I’m here.

My question is: Will I be able to get on the flight if I don’t pay the £16 (since it’s 2 flights) to check in early? I know airlines overbook their flights and so I fear I’ll get to checking in 24h before the flight but everyone who’s paid to select seats will have taken all the seats and I’ll not have a seat at all.

  • 312
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    1 year ago

    Your ticket entitles you to a seat, even if you don’t pick it yourself. You’ll just likely get stuck with a less desirable seat like a middle seat.

    • dentonOP
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      1 year ago

      Thank you! It’s only a 2h flight so I don’t mind

      • lemmyvore@feddit.nl
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        1 year ago

        Yeah this is usually a ploy directed at people who travel in a group and want to sit together. For a solo traveler it makes no difference.

        • dentonOP
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          1 year ago

          It’ll just be me, myself, and I so… yay lol

    • dentonOP
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      1 year ago

      Oh that’s very good to hear thank you for linking that!

  • Lazycog@lemmy.one
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    1 year ago

    I’m from Europe so my experiences are mostly from here:

    My experience is that if you check in immidiately when you can and being at the airport early enough will be enough to get on. It’s usually the late bees that get notified of overbooking issue.

    Just check in asap when it becomes available and be at the airport early enough to be at the top of the line during boarding. I always check in 24/48 hours before the flight and have only once been notified of overbooking and possibility of not getting onboard. I immidiately went through security and was waiting for boarding close to the gate - got in.

    Edit: also have only once selected seats in advance, didn’t do so on Ryanair flight.

    • dentonOP
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      1 year ago

      Was it recent that you used ryanair and didn’t select seats?

  • thetokenlady@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    No experience with Ryanair specifically, but airlines do oversell their flights. That said, if you check in as soon as you are able, right at 24 hours before, you should be ok. The people who run into trouble are the ones who wait to check in until they get to the airport.

  • Grebes@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    The ticket reserves your place in the flight, they just want folks to pay more to sit up front or with people that they are traveling with.