Lower Sequence #: Doing OLCI yourself vs. auto check-in on return flights
 

This is usually not an issue for me since I have no hope of being upgraded on transcon flights on my typical U and O fares...but since I am on an H fare next week it makes this an interesting question.

When doing OLCI for my outbound flights, I have been checking the auto check-in box for the return flight. However, it has been my experience that if I still go in myself at exactly 24 hours for OLCI and do it myself instead of just letting the auto checkin run, I get a lower sequence #.

Any thoughts or experiences are appreciated.

You must be really fast. In my experience, the auto check-in has always resulted in a lower sequence number.

Same here.

I manually check in leaving from ELP (El Paso, TX- not one of your more popular destinations) at something like 23:57 or 23:58 and have gotten as low as #22 in the sequence. Let it auto check you in.

I seem to get lower check-in times with auto-checkin vs. manual checkin.

Same here, too.

I got Seq #1 and #2 earlier this month.

I have successfully done OCLI manually, gotten seq. #1 or #2, and, a few minutes later gotten an email saying that the auto check-in process couldn't check me in (since I was already checked-in). Yes, I do sit there at exactly 24 hrs. and repeatedly hit refresh when I have a high fare class ticket and am very quick to get all the way through - but didn't think I could be that much faster than anyone else doing the same.

Here's the text of the email I receive...

Subject: Unable to provide boarding passes for confirmation XXXXX
Thank you for choosing Auto Check-in for your upcoming Continental Airlines flight. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide your boarding passes at this time.

Please complete your check-in at the airport on your day of departure. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Wait until 23:59:00 before; it's not really 24hours. It works to the second.

I requested auto check in for our flight back from SJU. Never happened! I had to check in at the airport. We had FC tickets, so sequence number didn't matter, but still, it would have been nice if the auto check in worked.