Your seats will be automatically allocated during check-in. You'll see your seat number on your boarding pass. Tip: If you want to sit with your fellow travelers, we strongly advise you to select your seats in advance. Some budget airlines deliberately split the travelers unless you pay for the seat allocation.

Whether you are allocated a seat during online check-in depends entirely on your airline and the type of ticket you purchased. For full-service legacy carriers like Delta, United, or British Airways, you are typically prompted to select your own seat from a map during the check-in process if you haven't already done so; if the flight is full, the system may "auto-allocate" one for you at the gate. However, for ultra-low-cost carriers like Ryanair, Spirit, or IndiGo, the system will often automatically assign you a seat if you choose not to pay a selection fee. These "auto-assigned" seats are often the less desirable ones (like middle seats in the back) to encourage passengers to pay for an upgrade. A notable exception in 2026 is Southwest Airlines, which does not assign seats at all; instead, your online check-in time determines your "boarding position" (e.g., A32), and once you step on the plane, you can choose any open seat available. Regardless of the airline, checking in exactly 24 hours before departure gives you the best chance of securing a better seat or seeing if new "preferred" rows have opened up for free.