Budget airlines are an affordable way to check places off your travel bucket list…until it comes to seat selection. Although the tickets are cheap, a majority of seats come with an additional price tag. London-based travel influencer Elaine Pool ( @travelainewithme ) has mastered the art of getting the best seat assignment on a budget airplane. Her secret hack ensures that she has a prime spot without having to pay an upcharge or any hidden fees—which is an anomaly with low-cost carriers.

But first, what constitutes "the best seat" on an airplane? Pool wrote on Instagram that the most ideal seats on a budget aircraft are located in the "front rows, emergency aisle seats (extra leg room), and far back rows."

Her theory checks out: According to a 2024 traveler survey conduct

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