No, That TikTok Boarding Hack Won’t Guarantee You a Better Seat — Here’s What Flight Attendants Had to Say

A flight boarding tip that’s made its way around social media is being debunked by flight attendants.

Touted as a hack on TikTok, travelers have been showing what they consider to be a major in-air perk by waiting til the very last minute to board their flights.

“You can sit in any open row you see available without going to your seat first,” one TikTok user wrote, while another traveling couple agreed, “that way if they had you sitting next to someone before … now you can choose any open seat if the flights [sic] not full.”

However, commenters were quick to respond explaining that boarding last most likely leaves you with no overhead bin space and that, in general, flights are too packed to even have the option of a different seat.

And if you ask the experts, they’re on the side of the commenters.

“I strongly recommend asking your cabin crew for permission before taking an empty seat,” Crystal Romo, a flight attendant who has been working for a mainline carrier for five years, told Travel + Leisure. “We dislike it very much when passengers move to open exit row seats without speaking to the crew.”

Romo also noted that certain options, like the exit row seats require a safety briefing and are considered an upgrade.

Jasmine Khadija, a flight attendant with two years of experience, agreed with Romo and noted that you can ask a gate agent before boarding if you can move seats (specifically, a window or aisle or one with less people).

Once on the plane, she explained that flight attendants don’t have ownership over seats but can give the go ahead for a move to an unoccupied seat — but it generally has to be the same cabin class.

And if you paid the same fare? 

“Once on the plane, you can ask the crew if any rows are available for you to sit alone — it’s usually fine,” she told T+L.

Both flight attendants note, however, that waiting until the last second to board can also cause unnecessary stress for the staff.

“Airline staff follow a strict schedule for boarding, so it’s important to be on time regardless of your seat,” Khadija said.

“The boarding door closes 15 minutes before departure, and after that point, boarding is no longer allowed,” emphasized Romo. “Agents will be on the jet bridge completing the final boarding procedures, so they won’t be at the gate. If this happens, you may lose your reservation entirely and will need to be rebooked on the next available flight, though availability isn’t guaranteed due to full bookings.”

In other words? Better skip this tip and just ask the gate agent if you want to move your seat and see if there’s another available. Once you have your assigned seat, stick to it.