When Do Seats Open Up?
 

I'm normally a DL loyalist, but a much better fare means that I'll be on CO for an upcoming trip to RDU. Right now, I'm booked into a middle seat on two of the legs and was curious as to if/when seats tend to open up as we approach flight time.

On DL, you can sometimes grab a new seat at T-5, 3, and 1 days (as Medallion upgrades clear) and then again two hours prior to departure (when remaining preferred seating opens for general use). Are there analogous timeframes on CO? Also, if I do OLCI, can I still change my seat at a kiosk?

Thanks in advance.

Most elites are going to be sitting in E+ or an exit row (which is now considered E+.
UDU starts to run at T-100hrs, 72hrs, and 48 hrs, but since they'd be pulling someone from E+, E- isn't likely to change too much.

Options:
Pay for E+, check back at T-100, 72, and 48 to see the seats that have opened because of the sweep.
Check at an airport kiosk for a seat change or ask the GA to change you.

All my flights into RDU this year have been full, I was on flight a few weeks ago and was in the mid-teens on the list. It is one of the few cities I haven't cleared an upgrade into. But as always YMMV.

Is there a time before flight when seating blocked for elites is opened to all?

Not really sure on that one. It might be at T-24. Before I was elite i could only get these at the airport. You can always call and see if the rep is willing to move you forward.

Assuming you’re on CO metal, the seats in front of the exit row but *not* the exit rows or bulkheads will open up at T-24 for all pax. Not that these are the exact same seats as behind the exit row though on some configurations they have power while seats further back do not.

Great information, thanks! I am on CO metal the whole way, so I'll check right at the T-24 mark if I'm not able to resolve the issue beforehand.