When you’re a budget traveler, scoring a coveted seat without having to pay extra fees is possible — but it might take strategic timing. If you’ve already chosen your seat when you purchased your ...

"Check-in chicken" is a strategy where travelers wait until the last minute to check in, hoping for a better seat assignment. The only guaranteed way to get a preferred seat is to pay for a seat ...

Is it worth paying extra for a seat assignment on a flight? For Donna Shelton, the answer is: almost never. "OK, I just made an exception on a flight from Houston to Chicago," said Shelton, a banker ...

Is it worth paying extra for a seat assignment on a flight? For Donna Shelton, the answer is: almost never. “OK, I just made an exception on a flight from Houston to Chicago," says Shelton, a banker ...

Each airline’s boarding pass has a different design, but the basics are all there. Your seat number, departure time, airline and flight number, frequent flyer number, and class of service are all ...

Is it worth paying extra for a seat assignment on a flight? For Donna Shelton, the answer is: almost never. “OK, I just made an exception on a flight from Houston to Chicago,” says Shelton, a banker ...

Ever heard of check-in chicken? It’s the idea that if you wait until the last minute to check in for your flight, you have a better chance of getting a good seat – if you haven’t already paid for a ...

Cruising Altitude is a weekly column about air travel. Have a suggestion for a future topic? Fill out the form or email me at the address at the bottom of this page. Ever heard of check-in chicken? It ...