The Best Time To Board A Plane, According To Rick Steves' Interview With A Flight Attendant

Rick Steves has probably spent more time overseas than in his own bed, so when it comes to travel advice, he's not just dishing out tips on making your way around European cities like a local. With his miles-long travel record, he's likely been on more flights than most of us will take in a lifetime, so if he offers a hack for making flying less miserable, it's worth listening to. What's even more impressive? He swears by flying economy — despite being more than capable of splurging on a first or business class upgrade. When it comes to making the back of the plane slightly less soul-crushing, he swears by one simple trick: boarding last. And surprisingly, he's not alone in this strategy.

In an episode of "Travel with Rick Steves" radio show, Steves admitted that his boarding pass often forces him to board last anyway — but he eventually realized this was actually an advantage. By hanging back, he can scope out empty seats and casually slide in if no one claims them. James Wysong, a flight attendant with decades of experience working for a major carrier, also backs it up.

On the show, Wysong confirms that this sneaky move works: "Be one of the last to board. If you don't like the looks of your seat neighbor, or there are two seats in a row, you sit down, and you just pretend that that is your seat. Nobody is going to ask you for your boarding pass," he said. "Unless somebody comes for that seat. Then you can play dumb and just kind of go, 'Oh, wait! That's not my seat!' And just move on." Basically, it's a free seat upgrade with zero effort. No sweet-talking gate agents, no bidding wars for better seats — just a little strategic loitering.

Aside from the potential to score a better seat (which is quite a gamble, as flight attendants might not let you switch even if the plane is almost empty), there's another sneaky perk to boarding at the last possible second: free bag check. For chronic overpackers, this is a game-changer. Instead of battling for overhead bin space or coughing up cash for a checked bag, you could get yours gate-checked — without paying a dime. And according to James Wysong, this little loophole practically guarantees your bag makes it to your destination. That means you won't have to worry about your bag getting lost, either.

"They don't charge you for gate-checking," James Wysong confirmed on the Rick Steves podcast, noting that depending on the airline, you might even get your bag back faster than those who paid actual baggage fees. "If you're on a regional [airline], it's going to greet you right when you get off the plane. If you're on a main line carrier, usually, it's going to go to baggage claim." And if it does end up at baggage claim, don't fret — you probably won't be waiting long. Wysong has tested this trick plenty of times as someone who often relies on buddy passes when flying. "I'm usually the last one on the plane," he said. "And my bag is always the last one to get on [the gate check] and always the first one coming out on baggage claim."

To sum it up, boarding late not only gives you a shot at a better seat but also lets you sidestep baggage fees and reclaim your suitcase faster. It's pretty much a win-win — unless, of course, baggage claim ends up being a hassle. But hey, at least it won't cost you a dime.