What happens if I don't have an assigned seat on a flight?

No assigned seat on a flight? What happens?

Ugh, no assigned seat? That happened to me last summer, flying Spirit Airlines from Orlando to Denver on July 12th. Total chaos.

Check-in opened at 11 am; I was online at 10:58, fingers flying! Still, some dude snagged the last window seat. I ended up stuck in the middle, squished between a snoring guy and a kid who spilled juice.

Overbooked flights are a nightmare. They usually offer you something – a voucher, maybe, or a spot on the next flight out. But if they can't work something out, you might get your money back. Really depends on the airline.

Honestly, checking in early is vital, especially for those cheap airlines. It's a free-for-all otherwise. First come, first served – brutal! Learn from my misery.