Check in opens 24 hours before for both Ryanair and Wizz Air. It's here where you're given the final chance to pay for a seat, or skip that part and let the airline overlords decide where you're going to sit. Essentially, the name of the game here is to wait until most people have checked in before you do so.

In 2026, the secret to snagging the best unallocated seats on Ryanair without paying an upgrade fee lies in a "last-minute" digital strategy. Ryanair’s algorithm typically allocates seats from the back of the plane toward the front for those who choose free random allocation. Savvy travelers have discovered that by waiting until the final 4 to 6 hours before departure to check in via the app, they can often snag the remaining "premium" unallocated seats—such as those in the front or aisle seats—that others didn't pay to reserve. Another trick is to open the "Add Extras" or "Change Seat" section of the app just before boarding; if the flight isn't full, you can often see which rows are empty. While you can't officially "move" for free through the app, knowing where the gaps are allows you to ask the crew politely once the "boarding complete" announcement is made. However, beware: waiting too long to check in can be risky if the flight is overbooked or if you forget and miss the 2-hour check-in deadline, which incurs a heavy airport fee.