If you're planning to jet away on holiday this summer, you may be aware that most airlines will charge you extra to sit next to your partner or children.
Both easyJet and Ryanair charge passengers to choose their seats on a plane which is an unwanted add-on to holiday costs.
According to one expert, however, it could be worth getting cheaper random seats and trying your luck when you get onto the plane.
Jane Hawkes, who is a former flight attendant and consumer expert, said that the best way to increase your chances of sitting next to someone on a plane is by simply asking.
She told Express.co.uk : “Obviously if you’re travelling with children you might not want to do this.
“Because if you’re travelling as a family, you’ll probably want your children with you to keep an eye on them. But if you’re travelling with friends or a partner, then never pay to book a seat together.
“Just wait to get onboard and then say ‘we’re travelling together and we didn’t realise we’d be separated’. You could just ask other passengers around you who can be very accommodating.
“It’s worth asking but there’s not much point asking before you get onboard.”
If solo travellers are sitting between friends they may be happy to swap so a group can sit together on the plane.
However, passengers may be more willing to swap if it’s an opportunity to switch out of the undesirable middle seat.
Middle seat passengers tend to have slightly less room than their neighbours and won’t be able to look out the window.
On Ryanair, children under the age of 12 must be seated with an adult and the airline will allow passengers a free allocated seat for four children per adult. Seats on Ryanair cost around £2.50 for a standard seat while extra legroom seats cost as much as £11.94.
Jane also shared a tip that could help passengers make some extra money or freebies while at the airport.
She said: “Mystery shopping is a way to pass time at the airport but it’s also a way of making a little bit of money. Most companies will offer a variety of mystery shopping tasks but not all of them will offer airports."
Mystery shopping is when people pretend to be a normal customer and judge how well a shop performs. If passengers have time to kill at the airport, it could be a way to earn a little extra cash for a holiday treat.
Jane Hawkes shares consumer tips and advice at ladyjaney.co.uk.
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