People have even reported getting the ‘best’ seats using this free method
People can take advantage of this ‘free’ booking trick to make sure they get their chosen seats ‘for free’(Image: Getty Images)
Ryanair passengers flying abroad to escape the UK weather might want to consider a ‘trick’ to help them be assigned ‘better’ seats without paying extra. The trick, as explained by ITV This Morning’s money-saving specialist Jordon Cox, does involve a little bit of luck, but it could pay off by saving customers up to £38 per person.
On Ryanair, the cost of choosing a specific seat varies based on the route, travel dates, and when you buy. Based on the airline’s published fees table, passengers can expect to pay between £3 and £30 when booking in advance, with fees as high as £38 per seat when booking at the airport desk.
Customers can avoid any cost entirely by accepting a random seat allocation from the airline. However, you leave it up to chance what part of the plane your seats will be in.
These random seats are picked and assigned at the exact moment you complete your online check-in, which is open up to 24 hours before the flight’s scheduled departure time. The airline’s automated system selects the seats, and customers have no say in where they end up if they choose this route.
Ryanair’s algorithm is notorious for assigning middle seats first to these free-allocation passengers, as reported by The Telegraph, and is said to hold back window and aisle seats. Many people will argue that middle seats are not the best place on a plane because they offer the least space when both seats on either side are occupied.
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ITV This Morning’s money-saving specialist Jordon Cox claims online that travellers might be able to take advantage of a workaround to avoid being put in a middle seat. In a post on Instagram, he suggests that one method ‘tricks the system’ into giving you the exact seat you want at no extra cost.
He said: “On the day that you’re checking in (I recommend about five to six hours before your flight), go into seat selection and see what seats are still available. A lot of these will be middle seats.
“Go to a separate tab and make a new booking for the flight you’re on. Put in some bogus names, then select each person a ‘seat’ in the places you DON’T want to sit. Because you’ve selected all those seats, and they’re in ‘someone else’s’ basket – for a short time, you can’t be sat there.
“That’s your cue to go back to your actual booking, and check-in with ‘random’ seat selection. You’ll be placed in one of the remaining seats – hopefully the only ones left are the aisle and the window.”
Reddit users claim that the sweet spot for securing the ‘best seats’ is not long before your flight takes off. By this time, the early check-in passengers have already been forced into specific parts of the plane, reducing the pool of available seats for those still unassigned.
In certain circumstances, Ryanair will likely randomly offer passengers an extra-legroom seat for free, but only under very specific conditions. However, because Ryanair never leaves a flight intentionally unbalanced and cannot leave critical seats empty, they will release them into the free pool at the absolute last minute.
If the only empty spots left on the aircraft are the premium legroom seats (like the emergency exit rows), the algorithm is forced to give them to you for free because it has nowhere else to put you and safety laws state that the emergency exit rows (Rows 1, 16, and 17) cannot be completely empty during takeoff and landing.
AUGUST is traditionally seen as the sacred month for the big family holiday.
But a growing number of savvy parents are taking one look at the summer holiday mark-ups and deciding that October half-term will do very nicely instead.
Visit The Algarve in October for a holiday that is 33% cheaper than visiting in August – and still a sunny 23°CCredit: Getty
When I dug into the data, I spotted a huge trend among families who originally searched for an August getaway but ultimately booked October instead.
The maths is simple: lower package prices, far better hotel availability and no daily battles for the final poolside lounger.
In the Mediterranean and North Africa, the heat becomes significantly more bearable too – still plenty warm enough for swimming, but without feeling as though you’re stepping into an industrial oven every time you leave the air-conditioned lobby.
So, I crunched the numbers and mapped out seven major hotspots where families are saving up to a third on their bill by choosing October over August. Here’s where the smart money is going…
7. Hurghada, Egypt – 12.4% cheaper
October half-term holidays to Hurghada are about 12% cheaper than peak August holsCredit: Getty
Even the smallest saving on our list leaves a serious amount of cash back into your bank account.
October half-term packages to Hurghada are around 12% cheaper than peak August departures and, if I’m honest, the autumn weather is far better suited to children.
Hurghada in August is brutally hot – the pavement turns walking barefoot around the pool into an interpretive dance – whereas October serves up comfortable temperatures of 32°C and a sea that sits at a balmy 27°C.
You can book five nights all-inclusive at the four-star Royal Lagoons Aqua Park Resort & Spa from £625pp, based on a family of four flying on 27 October.
This hotel’s brilliant too, with its private lagoon beach set-up.
They run a free, continuous pontoon-boat shuttle straight to its private stretch of sand, giving you access to a world-class snorkelling spot away from the busier public beaches.
Book a holiday: Hurghada
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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Royal Lagoons Aqua Park Resort & Spa from 27 October, with return flights, for £625pp.
Visit Antalya in October for savings and 26°C temperaturesCredit: Alamy
Antalya was the runaway favourite among families switching from August to October, accounting for 14% of all our autumn switchers, and a 20.2% price drop explains why.
For a family of four or five, taking a fifth off the total package price saves hundreds of pounds instantly.
The intense August heat gives way to a perfect 26°C, keeping the sea warm enough for swimming while making local day trips much more enjoyable.
I spotted five nights at the four-star, all-inclusive Sun Star Beach Hotel in Alanya from £405pp, based on a family of four departing from London Gatwick on 25 October.
The location of this hotel isn’t right on the beach, but its underground beach tunnel takes care of that problem for families.
It leads directly from the main pool deck, beneath the coastal road and straight onto the sand, meaning you don’t have to navigate busy resort traffic with toddlers in tow.
Book a holiday: Antalya
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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Sun Star Beach Hotel from 25 October, with return flights from London Gatwick, for £405pp.
Holiday Expert Rob found a package holiday to Majorca for a family of four for £340ppCredit: Getty
Nearly 1 in 10 families making the seasonal switch chose Majorca, securing a huge 22.9% saving compared with August prices.
Majorca remains a stress-free staple because it’s familiar, the flights are short and the resorts are purpose-built for effortless parenting.
October temperatures average a comfortable 24°C, which is ideal for beach days without the suffocating peak-summer humidity.
I tracked down five nights at the four-star Hotel Mariant Park in S’Illot from £340pp, based on a family of four flying directly from East Midlands Airport on 25 October on an all-inclusive basis.
The standout perk at this property is its location between two beaches – you’re a flat, three-minute walk from both S’Illot and Sa Coma beaches, giving you easy access to sheltered, shallow water for young paddlers.
Book a holiday: Majorca
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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Hotel Mariant Park from 25 October, with return flights from East Midlands Airport, for £340pp.
Visit Costa Dorada in October for 23°C temperatures, much more manageable than 35°C August heatCredit: Getty
Ditching August for October in the Costa Dorada cuts holiday costs by almost 26%.
This region is a huge hit with children because it combines golden beaches with Spain’s biggest theme park, PortAventura World.
October brings the daytime temperature down to a comfortable 23°C, which is infinitely better for walking around a theme park all day than queueing in 35°C August heat.
You can get five nights all-inclusive at the 4-star Ohtels Les Oliveres in El Perelló from £268pp, based on a family of four flying directly from London Stansted on 25 October.
And this hotel’s great for families in October with its huge indoor heated pool and spa area, giving you a built-in, weatherproof back-up plan if you get a cooler autumn afternoon.
Book a holiday: Costa Dorada
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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Ohtels Les Oliveres from 25 October, with return flights from London Stansted, for £268pp.
Costa Blanca holidays work out 26% cheaper in October than during the peak summer periodCredit: Getty
Tied for the second-biggest saving on our radar is the Costa Blanca, where an October half-term holiday is a huge 26% cheaper than during the peak summer period.
On a typical £3,000 summer booking, that saving keeps almost £800 in your pocket.
Flight times from the UK are short, transfer options are effortless and competition among local resorts keeps hotel prices fiercely competitive.
I found five nights at the three-star Port Denia Hotel from £318pp, for a family of four staying all-inclusive too, with flights from London Stansted on 25 October.
And the top feature here is its location at the foot of Montgó Natural Park.
You get a quiet, tree-lined pool setting just 50 metres from La Marineta Cassiana beach, giving you a calm, shallow bay for young children without the noise of a high-rise resort.
Book a holiday: Costa Blanca
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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Port Denia Hotel from 25 October, with return flights from London Stansted, for £318pp.
Both the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca are 26% cheaper to visit in October than in AugustCredit: Alamy
Matching the Costa Blanca with a 26% saving is the Costa del Sol.
In August, these resorts are packed to capacity and carry a hefty peak-season price-spike.
By October, the crowds have dispersed, the temperature has cooled to an easy 23°C and exploring nearby places such as Malaga or Marbella is an absolute breeze.
I found five nights all-inclusive at the four-star Bakour Oh Nice Costa del Sol in Estepona from £315pp, for a family of four flying directly from East Midlands Airport.
And, for me, what makes this place a brilliant base is its traditional, low-rise Andalusian village layout.
The rooms are spread across quiet, subtropical garden courtyards rather than housed in a sterile hotel block, giving families plenty of space to relax. Bliss.
Book a holiday: Costa del Sol
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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Bakour Oh Nice Costa del Sol from 25 October, with return flights from East Midlands Airport, for £315pp.
Holiday Expert Rob found an all inclusive holiday to Albufeira for £355pp in OctoberCredit: Getty
Taking the crown for the biggest seasonal saving is the Algarve, where families can cut their package bill by a staggering 33% simply by moving their holiday to October.
August is peak season in southern Portugal, driving hotel rates through the roof.
By autumn, those same clifftop resorts have cut their prices by a third while still offering temperatures of 23°C and peaceful beaches.
You can book five nights at the four-star Muthu Clube Praia da Oura in Albufeira from £355pp, based on a family of four flying from Bristol on 25 October and, once again, this deal is all-inclusive.
The ultimate insider perk at this property is its direct, private sloping access to Praia da Oura beach.
You can step straight out of the tropical pool gardens and onto the golden sand, bypassing the steep coastal steps that usually make beach trips with buggies a nightmare.
Book a holiday: the Algarve
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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Muthu Clube Praia da Oura from 25 October, with return flights from Bristol, for £355pp.
