Originally Posted by
tom_MN
I just went thru this -- it didn't work. I checked every hour and nothing opened up that I could pick, they were protected.
Seems like it would have been an advantage to have no seat, because then I would have been allowed to pick something, I can't check in without a getting a seat assignment. And if the only seats open are priority/EC, etc, I must be allowed to pick one. Somebody in coach got them without paying, and it can't be anyone who already had a seat assignment.
Not true - what will actually happen is you will get to the screen and if all that is left are EC or preferred seats you will be asked to pay for them as you are not elite. You can check-in without a seat assignment, your name would then be sent to the FA operating the gate and he or she would assign a seat to you right before boarding, in most cases you will end up with the worst seats on the plane.
I am speaking from experience from when I had no status.