After checking in online- is a refundable ticket no longer refundable?

According to continental.com:

My experience has been that a refundable ticket is refundable if it isn't used to actually fly somewhere. You can purchase a ticket, check in, get to the gate, not get on, watch the plane leave, go home, wait a week, and call up and still be given a complete refund.

When I last needed such a refund the people at the checkin desk told me to just go home and call to claim my refund. They didn't seem interested in processing it for me on the spot. I should note that it's also polite to tell the folks at the gate to remove you from the flight if you know you won't be on it.

Absolutely. ^

By doing that, you might be helping a standby pax who needs to get on, or perhaps clearing a seat in F so that someone else can upgrade. Help out your fellow travelers and tell the airline you won't be needing your seat.

I've actually gotten on the plane, had my drink in FC, and then heard that we were being delayed by X hours for Y reason. I got off the plane, went to the customer service counter and was issued a refund on the spot. Don't know if they ever gave someone else the battlefield upgrade...

This doesn't help anybody -- it just expedites it. Once you don't board at the last final boarding call, if you're not on the plane, they'll accommodate a standby or process another upgrade. It's not like if you checked in and don't show up, that seat's gonna fly empty. While I agree that it's a courtesy to let them know you're not flying, the net outcome in the end is the same.

Last time I was pulled off a plane from F (due to a delay, I was rerouted), at the time of rebooking I was sure to inform the redcoat that I had freed up an F seat, so he would battlefield someone else.

Since this isn't a usual circumstance, I could see how an agent may forget to process battlefield upgrades at that time, so I figured the reminder wouldn't hurt.

I have a Continental Y fare LAX-BKK in Dec on Northwest, and in discussion with a CO Elite Phone Reservation 'Specialist' was advised, that I would get a refund for a $150.00 charge if I cancelled the flight.

Am concerned because I requested to be upgraded with CO miles at time of ticketing. LAX-NRT-LAX was upgraded, and the NRT-BKK-NRT segments were NOT, and there are no seats available and NO waitlist. CO says there is nothing they can do, but keep calling (every day) to see if space became available.

NW says there is no waitlist, since CO miles were used!
What partnership?

After having to fly in Coach this weekend SAN-EWR-SAN without a Gold Elite upgrade, I have little desire to fly the NRT-BKK segments in coach, since the miles were charged to my account.

Yes the CO planes are full and there is next to NO possiblility of upgrades for even Gold Elites.

On my last two flights, LAX-EWR, and EWR-LAX, even as Platinum, no upgrade... totally full flights.

Even with WP miles there no such thing with NW as an upgrade waitlist.

Steve

While I agree that the net outcome is the same, that small courtesy makes that outcome arrive more swiftly and easily for the gate agents and any pax who might be positively impacted. That makes it worthwhile, IMO.