Why You Should Reconsider Checking In For Your Flight Early
By LAURA JONES
Many U.S. airlines open online check-in 24 hours before departure. However, waiting to check in until a few hours before your flight could get you a better seat.
Most airlines don't allow economy passengers to choose a seat for free. If you wait to check in, you could be bumped up a class if those better seats haven't been assigned already.
On low-cost European airlines like Ryanair, the airline holds onto the "good" seats for as long as possible in the hopes of selling them, so middle seats are often allocated first.
There are exceptions to this rule. If you can choose your seat for free at check-in, the earlier you do so, the better, especially if you want to be seated with
your family.
For first-class passengers, all of the seats are great, so there’s no need to wait. Certain airlines also reward customers who check in as soon as possible with faster boarding.