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 traveling 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 canceled 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 carrier’s app
Many airlines provide information such as seat maps that are accessible via their apps and websites before the day of travel. These maps will show you the layout of every seat on the plane and whether it's been booked or not.
Delta, for example, allows fliers to log in to its app or website and view how full the seat maps for their flights are under the “My Trips” tab. Any booked seats will be marked as “occupied.”
Some airlines, like JetBlue, Hawaiian, and Alaska, 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 travelers 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.
