Originally Posted by
ft101
If you receive a gate upgrade then checking in on-line will not have have a difference as the decision to upgrade you will have been made after check in.
However, if the flight is being managed prior to check in, including allocating op-ups, then checking in on-line shows that you more than likely intend to fly. You may be op-upped at this point in preference to someone of equal status who hasn't checked in.
I always check in online where possible - I don't think it needs to be T-24 but a few hours before may help.
As FT101 states it depends on when they are done - no one apart from the station managers have visibility to this. If they know of a shift from 2/3 class it may be done a few hours before.
I'd imagine its all done on a database and its luck of the draw between golds/plats and silvers with the rest pot luck. We like to think there is a system and I wish there was aside from simple status segmentation but I doubt it!