Originally Posted by
TrainDriverSparky
When OLCI opens, sometimes it's possible to select seats with out checking in. At the airport without having checked in, I feed the self-serve machine with the things that it asks for to check the seat map again if I haven't already snagged what I would consider a preferable seat.
During the OLCI process, the point at which you are checked-in is when when you select your seat.
Being checked-in is different from printing a boarding pass, which is always optional. If you do not print your boarding pass, you may be able to go back to the seat map and change your seat later. That is also why if you then go to the SSCI machine, you can still change your seat before printing your boarding pass.
Someone here has a maxim of "Never PYOBP". That may be taking it a bit far, because sometimes it is a good idea. But I have never really understood why you'd want to print a boarding pass any earlier than you really need to, if doing so deprives you of the flexibility to change your seat.