Man Manages To Get Seat on Last Flight of the Day, but There's a Catch

A video of a passenger bagging the "best seat ever" on the final flight of the day has gone viral on TikTok. The clip was shared by @nabil.o33 and has had 3.3 million views since it was posted on April 15. A message overlaid on the video says: "POV [point of view]: When you're flying standby on the last flight of the day, the flight is completely full, but you were given the option to sit in the back of the plane with the cabin crew." Read more: Compare the Best Credit Cards for Travel The footage shows a man looking into a camera, while sitting on a plane near some cabin crew members. Flight attendants are seen sitting in jump seats, which are seats for non-passengers who aren't operating the aircraft. Some crew members are shown preparing a food cart, while others are later captured resting in their seats before the clip ends. A caption shared with the post reads: "Don't ask how I convinced the captain to let me on." Flying standby entails being allowed to fly on a different flight than your originally scheduled flight if a seat becomes available on that flight. The exact terms and conditions may vary depending on the carrier, but the option is typically available to those whose flight has been canceled or delayed or to those who simply wish to catch an earlier flight. There's no guarantee that you'll be able to find a seat if you're on a standby list. However, some airlines offer same day confirmed seating on a new flight for select trips or for certain loyalty program members for a fee. Read more: The Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access Among the biggest perks of being a pilot are the flight benefits, such as being able to have spouses/partners, children and "buddies" fly standby. Tony Shen, a former pilot who is the president of the Wayman Aviation Academy, told Newsweek in January 2023 that "most U.S. carriers offer free non-revenue flights to employees and their spouse/partner and children." Dan Bubb, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who is a historian and former airline pilot, previously told Newsweek that pilots, flight attendants, their spouses, and children only have to pay the taxes on tickets. The same applies to "buddy" passes. "Spouses, children, and 'buddies' fly 'standby' while the pilots/flight attendants can ride in jump seats [seats for non-passengers who aren't operating the aircraft] if those seats are unoccupied," the professor said.

'Best Seat on the Plane'

Several users on TikTok said the passenger in the clip bagged "the best seat." Omar99 said: "Bro got the best seat on the plane," and Jolyonn Wagg said it was the "best seat ever." DarioDMusicOfficial agreed, saying: "That's looks like the best seat to me," while Will L noted: "I think you won the standby lottery my friend." SKTMAN said the passenger got the "best view of the plane." Emiii B noted: "I'd end up feeling bad and helping out." Jesse agreed, saying: "bro I be helping them out hand out snacks." Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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