controversial

The method has has been praised by some but others say it’s a really bad idea

A controversial technique to avoid getting a seat you do not want has been criticised by a number of passengers. Many airlines charge more for seat selection on the plane – or automatically put you in a middle seat.

However, according to one travel specialist, there is a method that can stop the system from giving you a middle seat. And they say it comes without paying anything on top.

Jorden Tually explained the technique in a video on his TikTok account (@jordentually). He said low-cost airlines often automatically assign middle seats to those who select “random seat allocation”.

He says that this encourages passengers to pay for a window or aisle seat. Yet he argues that there is a technique that can help here – although it has been criticised by some online.

He says the method stops the airline’s system from automatically assigning you a middle seat. First up, he said he looks at how many seats of this type are still available on the flight when checking in.

In a test of the method, he said he found a total of 10 middle seats available on a flight. He said the next step is to simulate the purchase of that number of tickets.

“I go straight to the website and pretend to buy 10 more middle seats,” he said. He said when doing this, he enters the name of each made-up passenger.

You can just put in ‘a bunch of letters in there,’ he said. Then, in the seat assignment, he selects all the middle seats or those he wants to avoid and clicks ‘continue’.

He said ‘the system is going to hold those seats for about 10 to 15 minutes.’ This is the amount of time users will have to actually check in and get a better seat.

When passengers select ‘random seat allocation,’ the system will not be able to assign the seats it has previously blocked. He said: ‘It only took me two minutes, and now I have a window seat. It has never failed me and is 100% successful when done correctly.”

He advises completing the process from a computer and says it is more effective if done as close to the check-in date as possible, as there are fewer seats available.

But while some praised the technique, others pointed out the obvious consequences it would have. One commenter online said: “OMG, the self-entitled brigade again. If this does work, everyone will now try it, freezing up loads of seats and could stop genuine people wanting to book that flight, all because you think you deserve a better seat than those who have paid.”

Others criticised the idea and said it would lead to prices going up where dynamic pricing is used, which sees prices fluctuate according to demand. One person commented on the YouTube post put up late last month to say: “Don’t you know about airlines’ dynamic pricing??” Yet another echoed this, saying: “Damn, that will spike up cost by 10-20%”

Another person said: “Now you delayed your flight 10 minutes while they wait for the computer queue to clear so other passengers can select their seats.” A further commenter agreed, saying: “This is not a good hack, cause your ticket costs more when the system thinks it’s fully booked.”

Another added: “Congrats. Due to dynamic pricing, you’ve just raised the price of your ticket by 50%”

GORDON Ramsay has broken his silence on his ‘fiery’ wedding speech in his first interview since daughter Holly’s wedding ceremony to Adam Peaty.

The TV chef appeared alongside his daughter Tilly on ITV‘s This Morning as he discussed the highly-publicised Bath Abbey ceremony for the first time.

Gordon had raised eyebrows as he appeared to make a thinly-veiled dig at Adam’s ongoing family feud when he delivered a wedding speech during the nighttime celebrations.

But the star has insisted his speech was “perfect” despite courting controversy.

When asked by Cat Deeley about preparing his speech, Gordon said: “Being a dad of three daughters, you dream of that moment.

“I was a hot mess but the speech was perfect, it went well.

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“You’ve got to be warm and emotional but it was a tough gig.”

Elsewhere, Tilly had her say on the wedding and also called it “perfect” despite Adam’s family largely not attending.

Only his sister Bethany was present with his heartbroken mum Caroline banned from the Abbey amid a huge fallout with Adam and being left hurt after Holly refused to invite her to her hen-do with her A-list pals, including Victoria Beckham.

Speaking on the daytime show, Tilly added: “It was so emotional but so incredible to see her and Adam so happy. It was a big day for all of us.”

She also admitted she checked Gordon’s speech on Christmas Eve and confessed “no tweaks were needed” before confirming: “It made everybody cry.”

Gordon further revealed his “shock” at Holly’s decision to wear Tana’s wedding dress for a section of the reception saying: “It was a shock as she had it on for the majority of the night but I don’t know why she needed to change three times!”

The chef was alluding to her multiple dress changes for the big day – with the star wearing three gowns in total.

In Gordon’s speech he was understood to be heard saying his wife Tana “will be a good mum to them both,” amid the fallout.

Ramsay, 59, gushed at how beautiful Holly looked and told Adam he was a “lucky man”, adding: “Look at Tana and that’s what you have to look forward to.” 

And in a sly dig at Adam’s absent parents he told Holly, 25: “Shame you don’t have the same.” 

Adam’s feud with mum Caroline, 60, exploded last month after she was not invited to Holly’s hen do.  

Last night a Peaty family source hit back at Gordon’s speech saying: “It just goes to show that this was the Ramsays’ plan all along.”  

Adam hailed the 200 guests’ support in a “difficult time”. Sister Beth, 32, was his only family at the service, maid of honour with Holly’s sisters Megan, 27, and Tilly, 24. 

Adam’s mum, dad Mark, 65, and brothers James and Richard stayed at home in Staffordshire. 

South Korea has announced it’s ending bear bile farming over animal cruelty concerns. The controversial industry was used for traditional medicine, but questions over its effectiveness knocked its popularity in recent years.

Former EastEnders star Liam Hatch has addressed the backlash he faced when he was cast as a schoolboy in the legendary BBC soap opera, despite nearing the age of 30

An EastEnders star has opened up about the backlash they faced over their controversial casting. Liam Hatch, 29, was cast as school bully Logan in the BBC soap opera last year, and fans were left quite bewildered.

Despite playing a Year 12 schoolboy, who intimidated Amy Mitchel and Denzel Danes, Liam’s character was ten years older than the typical Year 12 students in England, who are between 16 and 17 in the UK. Introduced by Kate Oates and Chris Clenshaw, Liam’s character appeared in just one episode and attracted a fair amount of criticism on social media.

Many viewers were shocked to discover his Instagram page, which boasts topless gym snaps and his annual birthday snap, which sees him posing nude as the camera takes a picture from behind. Now, the actor has spoken in depth about the backlash he faced.

“The grief I had from it, from Twitter – I sell mortgages, I’m 41, the oldest man alive,” he said. Liam joked: “I don’t look that old!” He went on to explain that he wasn’t 16 when he took on the role, saying: “I was 26.”

Speaking about the response he received from friends and family, the athlete and actor added on the Rokman Podcast: “All my friends and family were like ‘Are you okay? People are taking the p**s out of you. Your age, looks.’ I was like ‘Oh God, I’m not that bad. I’m sure I SPF every day. I look good.

“My dad was loving it, he was like ‘He’s on The Sun!’ I think I’m the only man to be on Page 3 of The Sun topless!” He continued: “I always say to everyone, if your name is coming out of other people’s mouths, you’ve done something, and it doesn’t matter how good or bad it is, it’s happening.”

At the time of Liam’s episode airing, fans were quick to share their thoughts on social media. One said: “Why is this 44-year-old man walking around in a school uniform and picking fights with the local kids?” A second penned: “Almost certain that this schoolboy sold me my mortgage.”

Shortly after the criticism, Liam explained that the comment about being 44 had stuck with him. Speaking to The Guardian, Liam said: “I was looking in the mirror, thinking ‘surely I can’t be looking 44 – that’s five years younger than my dad!'”

Liam, who works as a personal trainer when he’s not preparing for his latest HYROX challenge, said that some of his clients believed he was around the age of 23.

He added to the outlet: “A few of my friends asked if I was OK. But I’m in the performance and fitness industries, I know you’re going to get critics. As long as the performance is showing you are that character, that’s what’s important to an actor. You’re not looking at the appearance but the emotion.”

Liam also explained that while he played a younger character, times had completely changed since he was around the same age as a Year 12 student. He explained that he tried to modernise himself, including his posture and body language as the current generation of teens “have more suave” when they walk and talk.

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