Ryanair random seat allocation: Is it better if you check in later?

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy “I have heard that the later you leave it to check in with Ryanair, the higher the chance of avoiding a middle seat,” Mick G writes. “Before continuing with random allocation please be advised: High chance you’ll be sitting in the middle seat. Mick’s hypothesis is this: with a system that is geared to assigning middle seats wherever possible, anyone who waits almost until the last moment is more likely to get a window or aisle seat. Assuming the distribution were truly random, and did not take passengers’ paid selections into account, I would expect to be assigned a middle seats 13 times.