I remember a few years back I was able to pick my seat when I went to check in online like 23 hours or so before the flight and I had a variety of seats to choose from so it worked out.
However I saw this on the website today
- Your seat will be assigned after check-in (within 24 hours of departure) and assigned seats may not be together. Seat selection, when available, can be purchased 7 days to 24 hours prior to departure. Check the seat map on delta.com or the Fly Delta app for seat availability.
So does this mean you have to say when you check in on selecting a seat for free even if there are several seats left? I'm trying to do this trip as cheap as possible. Don't care about not earning miles, upgrades, or boarding last.