2 hours prior to SCHEDULED DEPARTURE not boarding. I still check in 24 hours ahead of time then either online before I leave for the airport or at the kiosk change my seat. If due to equipment swap or weight restriction they have to take people off a flight and the factor they use is when someone checks in I do not like to risk that. Just because you check in does not mean you cannot change your seats. You just have to get your boarding pass reprinted

They go by check in time if they have to deny boarding due to an equipment swap or weight restrictions??????

I always thought they made that decission based on Medallian status and fare class if they had to deny people. So if a person with no status on a T fare checks in at t-24 and a DM on any higher fare class checks in at at the airport kiosk and they do an equipment change and have to deny boarding to people, I figured the DM would be on board and the person with no status on the T fare would be denyed. I didn't think check in time had anything to do with it.

Check in time has always had something to do with many things, especially if you are on the upgrade waiting list, standby list, etc.

Check in time has absolutely nothing to do with the upgrade list.

Check in time might be used for IDB, but after a bunch of other factors (having a seat assignment, medallion status, connecting flight/rebooking options, etc).

CHeck in time has nothing to do with being ugpraded. If that was the case every medallian that hasn't cleared would check in at t-24:) I usually check in on my phone at t-24 when I get the reminder alert and I have gone from number 1 to 14 in the matter of 1 hour before.

With the standby list, I also don't see check in time being a factor. Your check in time is for your BOOKED flight, not the stand by flight.

Consider an Amex DL Card
 

If you do about 20 segments a year, you are earning a min of 10,000 MQMs (500 min per segment) and maybe a lot more. Consider getting one of the Amex DL credit cards. The Reserve card is $450 per year, but if you spend $30K, you get 15K MQMs and 15K bonus miles (you get another 15K each at $60K spend). The Reserve card also gets you free SC access. The Plat card is around $100 per year, but if you spend $25K, you get 10K MQM (another 10K at $50K spend).

It sounds like either card might get you at least FO, which is good for a little bit (exit row seating, waived baggage fees, and the like). If you spend lot of money on your credit card, then the Reserve Card probably would get you to GM (same as FO, but with priority security lines and sometimes an upgrade to FC).

Cheers

I am thinking about getting the platinum but I've seen such great deals over the year... 45k + and now that I want it the only special offer for me is the 30k offer on gold AmEx.

Is there any way of paying for the exit row?

As stated upthread, if you pay for full fare economy (Y or B) you have access to the same inventory as elites, including exit rows. Or you can pay for Economy Comfort on international flights that offer it.

Only on a higher fare like a Y fare. And if you go that route, you may as well just buy a first class ticket, since First Class fares are often ties cheaper than a full Y fare.

If you are willing to pay for a premium fare to get an exit row, you would be better off just paying for a mileage run to get FO.

>>>>>Check in time has nothing to do with being ugpraded. If that was the case every medallian that hasn't cleared would check in at t-24

It did with the old NWA, which is why people would set alarm clocks to T -24, and there were threads about whether or not it worked to try to check in 60 seconds prior to T -24. NWA also gave 500 miles for using online check-in for a while dere, ya hey.