Ryanair - check in, no seat reservation

[ColourByNumbers88]

I've booked a flight and didn't book a seat reservation. Does anybody know when I can check in - it's prompting me to buy a seat. How do I get a free seat - is it 24 hours before the flight?

Yes, 24 hours beforehand.

I just take the random allocation, but then I really don't care where I sit or who with.

Me too. Find it ridiculous that you have to pay for a seat. I tried to find out via the app but couldn't see any information about timings. Thanks! I'm hoping I get an expensive extra leg room top spot next to the pilot!

I always check in really late as sometimes you can get the best seats that way if no one booked them!

Yes, I think you're right. I accidently left it to the last minute for a return flight recently and got a window seat, whereas for the outgoing flight when I'd done it ASAP, I got the middle.

I'm always a bit concerned they've over booked though?

Last time I flew ryanair they boarded everyone at the same time which meant people who hadn't booked a seat were hunting for free seats. Total chaos.

How is this possible. You always get a seat. Is this a very long time ago?

When was this? Everyone is allocated a seat by check-in. It doesn’t matter what time you
are boarded.

I booked with Ryanair and paid for a checked bag recently. The seat reservation in the main body of the plane, i.e. no extra legroom, etc was free.

I like your optimism but the people who pay for a seat will naturally pay for the good seats. If you are not paying/reserving ahead you're likely to end up in the middle of a row of three or next to a toilet.

24 hours before and they’ll allocate you a seat at random! I’ve always got lucky and got exit row or front row, maybe because those seats aren’t suitable for families who will more likely to prebook. But be warned if you’re in a group that they will deliberately split you up- my friend got put next to the travel companion of my seatmate, so we did a direct swap, but just shows it’s deliberate and other times I’ve found I’m next to an empty seat but not with my friends!

Not necessarily, the best seats are more expensive and don't always get sold.

It depends where you're going. If it's not a family destination and/or not a long flight, most people will be happy with a random allocation rather than pay extra, and someone has to sit in the good seats.

Yes, if you book priority with the extra bag, which is often cheaper than just booking the bag, you get an allocated seat. I don't think you can choose it though?

I checked in last minute the other day. Got seat 1B.

That’s not how it works, if you don’t pay for a particular seat in advance it’s allocated when you check in and printed on your boarding pass, they don’t board people not knowing where anyone will sit.

Not always so.
My DB & his Irish DW were regular commuters, & DB used to barge through to secure seats for his family because it was a free-for-all with no allocations.

They did used to, like getting on a bus and it was chaos, but not for a long time now.

Which airline? Recently? I fly regularly within the UK, Europe and further afield and have never ever heard of this in my entire life.

Definitely not the rule. The very best seats are the most expensive so don’t always get booked. By checking in last minute I’ve got front row a few times for free.

when flying alone I definitely seem to get the better seats the later I leave it.

You used to find a free seat after boarding but they stopped that. For years now everyone has had an allocated seat. You can choose one if you pay or just take what you are allocated at check in.

You can choose if I booked for my mum recently with a checked in bag and she for to choose a seat as part of the price, you could only choose certain ones those, some were an extra amount to upgrade

Ryan air used to be like this before they started charging for everything as an extra, I’m talking 15 to 20 years ago, you got on and sat where you liked. It was really annoying though as they let people with kids on first and it was before I had kids and was always travelling with my mum and we’d end up with rubbish seats as all the people with kids got first pick

My mum travelled with Ryan air this afternoon and somehow someone managed to get on the wrong bloody plane, they had to delay take off and reopen the doors to let him out!! Someone else was sitting in his seat becuase it was the wrong plane!!

Big clue in the title of the thread.

If the flight is overbooked then those who booked a seat will mostly likely make the flight. It's those who have not paid seat reservation that might get asked to switch flights.

#my son works for an airline, not Ryanair and this is the usual scenario with his airline if it happens.

Historically Ryanair has never, ever overbooked a plane. They make it a point of great pride that they have never ever "bumped" anyone.

EasyJet overbooks in two ways:

• The regular way, selling a few more seats than the plane has. They don't do it nearly as much as airlines that have refundable tickets, but they do it occasionally.
• Accidentally, if the plane shrinks. EasyJet runs A321, A320, and A319 aircraft, which get smaller along with the number. If a flight is scheduled to be with an A320 and the plane has a problem and they only have an A319 available, then there will be 20 or so fewer seats. This happened to our DS. He was in no hurry and took the 500 Euros compensation that they were offering, plus an overnight hotel stay. If not enough people had volunteered then indeed people without seat reservations would have been chosen at random to be bumped (with only the statutory 250 Euros compensation).

Ryanair may, however, start to have the "accidental" problem soon. Their 737-800s all have 189 seats, but they have 197 in the 737 Max8. So if the plane is scheduled to be a Max8 and has to be changed to an 800, up to 8 people might get bumped.