How to get a row on a plane to yourself without paying extra

Travelling abroad as cheaply as possible has never been easier, but it can also get a tad cramped, especially when it comes to seats on a plane.

(Think leg room, arm-rest wars and that awkward moment you have to shuffle past someone who is sleeping to get to the loo).

Well, travel blogger Gilbert Ott - whose insights brought us cheap flights, how to use your air miles to nab a trip on a private jet, and deal alerts on journeys - has got a solution to those cramped journeys.

Ott uses an app called ExpertFlyer to keep an eye on which seats are taken right up to the day of the flight.

In a blog post on God Save The Points, he wrote:

[The app] allows users to view up-to-the-moment seating charts and, better yet, allows users to set alerts for when and if their ideal seat pops up. 

A smart flyer (which you clearly are) sees the cabin as a game of musical chairs. If the best seat in the house is available immediately - book it. If not, get the next best available seat - and set free alerts on ExpertFlyer for any and all the seats you’d prefer. By doing so, you can keep improving up until final boarding. 

Once everyone else has settled their fate, you can often stand in the boarding line with your app open seeing if final seating assignments have created any opportunities - like an entire row to yourself. It really does happen.

In short:

1. Find the best possible seat for you early before the flight.

2. Set alerts to see when better seats become available

3. Watch the seat map even after check in

Simple.

H/T Business Insider

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