Summer travel is upon us, which often means navigating crowded airports and gritting teeth on sold-out flights. It's enough to make anyone feel claustrophobic – when it comes time for boarding, we wouldn't blame you for wondering, how full is my flight going to be?
Flying on a completely full plane is certainly a hassle – it can make everything from stowing carry-on luggage to attempting to sleep on board a struggle, not to mention the fact that already shrinking airline seats feel even more cramped when every spot is occupied. Post-pandemic, many of us are also too aware of the germ-spreading that happens when spending hours within inches of travelling strangers.
Luckily, there are several measures you can use to protect your elbow room on your next flight. It all starts with checking how full your flight will be ahead of time – and then proceeding accordingly.
There are several easy ways to get an estimate of how many passengers will be on your plane before you are shuffling down the jet bridge. But it’s important to remember that none of these strategies is a panacea for outsmarting crowded planes. Airline seating charts can always change – even up to the last minute – as passengers waiting on standby are cleared to board, fliers are transferred from other cancelled or delayed flights, or the original aircraft is switched with a different plane with fewer seats.
With those caveats in mind, here are three simple ways to see how full a plane is before boarding so, at the very least, you can mentally prepare before your flight.
Log into your airline's app
Many airlines provide information such as seat maps that are accessible via their apps and websites when booking. These maps will show you the layout of every seat on the plane and whether it's been booked or not.
British Airways, for example, allows fliers to log in to its app or website and view how full the seat maps for their flights. “Every customer (regardless of cabin and ticket type) has the option to choose their seat 24 hours before departure, so they can log into Manage My Booking on ba.com and see which seats are available to them”, a spokesperson for British Airways tells us.
Some airlines allow you to view the most current version of the flight’s seat map by logging in with the passenger’s last name and confirmation code. (You will have to follow prompts to change seats, but you can view the map without actually confirming a seat change.)
These tools will give a reliable indication of how full you can expect the flight to be. But remember, most airlines continue to assign seats throughout the check-in process, and seats might be shuffled by gate agents to accommodate families and other travellers who need special attention.
Sneak a peak at check-in
Depending on your airline, you’re almost certainly able to get a peak at the seat map during the check-in process, which starts 24 hours before departure. This usually comes with the chance to select or purchase seats, and as such will show you how many open seats are available the day before your flight.
If the plane is looking too crowded for comfort, you'll still have time to switch to a new flight – although, while in the US many airlines have eliminated change fees for most cabin classes, in the UK that is not the case. According to The Telegraph, Ryanair charge at least £45 per date alteration, “EasyJet’s fee is £25-£49 for changes and cancellations, and on economy tickets, BA charges up to £50, though changes on the day of departure are free”.
If you have elite status, you may have even more options. United Airlines, for instance, offers a same-day confirmation service on select flights for all passengers with elite status – that means they can switch to an earlier flight in the same cabin class at no charge, without paying a difference in fare. Unfortunately, most airlines don't allow customers to pay for seat change fees with air miles.
Contact your carrier’s customer service
When in doubt, call the carrier’s customer service line and ask an agent to check how full the flight is. It might not be the most convenient option, but it will yield an answer. If you dread the idea of waiting on hold, many airlines offer customer service chat features. British Airways, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic all have live chat options, and most UK airlines have text option for customer service help.