If you’re flying with Ryanair and hoping to avoid a middle seat, it’s best to wait until closer to the flight time to check in. This is because Ryanair’s seating system assigns middle seats to passengers who check in early, while later check-ins tend to receive window or aisle seats.
To support this hypothesis, the author analyzed their own Ryanair boarding passes from the past seven years and found that they were assigned a middle seat 15 times out of 39 flights. However, when they checked in later, they were more likely to get a window or aisle seat. For example, on a flight from Stansted to Belfast, they checked in as sequence number 172 and received seat 12F. On a flight from Stansted to Seville, they checked in as sequence number 171 and received seat 4A.
The author also notes that checking in as early as possible is likely to result in a middle seat. In one instance, they checked in as soon as the 24-hour window opened and were assigned a middle seat.
If you’re hoping to secure a better seat on Ryanair, it’s best to check in between 24 hours and two hours before the flight and aim for a sequence number over 100. This will increase your chances of getting a window or aisle seat and avoiding the dreaded middle seat.
