Originally Posted by
jm0933
No, you still want to check in at T-24. Taking the free upgrade to E+ does not remove you from the upgrade list for First. An upgrade to F also won't clear for a silver until you're checked in, so you want to check in as early as possible if you want to have a shot.
I was upgraded on two recent flights where I checked in right at T-24. I was near the top of the very short upgrade list at check-in time and the upgrades cleared within an hour of checking in. Checked back shortly before the flight and there were 10+ new people below me on the upgrade list, presumably other silvers who checked in after me. Early bird gets the worm.
Also, as others have said, upgrades for silver will be rare if you're flying out of a hub. I fly out of an outstation, so I'm usually going the opposite direction of the really high status fliers, which helps.
This is not true. A silver can certainly be upgraded before checking in. Also, the list was very small when you checked in because only passengers who have checked in are on that list and you checked in right at T-24 hours. As others have said, the upgrade list you see after you check in is not the same list used to upgrade passengers ahead of the flight. The fact that you checked in and were upgraded shortly after checking in is a coincidence. And the 10+ people below you on the upgrade list would likely have been below you even had you checked in much later (unless you all had the same fare).