Are you more likely to be upgraded if you check-in late?

Does checking in early help with upgrades?

Checking in early for upgrades? Nah, that’s like thinkin’ wearin’ your lucky socks guarantees you’ll win the lottery.

• Doesn’t matter when you check in, early bird ain’t gettin’ the upgrade worm. Seriously, it’s all about status, baby!
• Think of it this way: check-in time is like waitin’ in line for concert tickets – doesn’t mean you’ll snag backstage passes. Unless you’re, like, Bono’s cousin.

App check-in? Same difference.

• That app ain’t magic. Your upgrade chances depend on your frequent flyer status and whether you’re pals with the gate agent.
• My Aunt Mildred tried checkin’ in 72 hours early once. She got… a middle seat next to a crying baby. Case closed.

Order number? Fuggedaboutit!

• Upgrade order ain’t based on who clicked the app first. It’s a secret sauce of loyalty points, fare class, and maybe, just maybe, if the airline gods are smilin’ on ya. I dunno.
• It’s like tryin’ to predict the weather with a dandelion. Good luck with that strategy!
• Upgrades, man, are like findin’ a twenty in your old jeans – a happy accident.
• Pro tip: flash a big smile and maybe compliment their shoes. Desperate times!

Are you more likely to get an upgrade if you check in at the airport?

Airport check-in definitely boosts your upgrade chances. Gate agents have real-time seat availability. They’re incentivized to fill empty premium seats; it’s better than flying with them vacant. You’re physically present, a ready recipient of their generosity. This is not some airport myth; it’s a verifiable observation from my many travels.

Think of it like this: it’s much easier to give a free upgrade to someone already at the gate than to track down a passenger who’s already checked in online. They might have even already boarded. Efficiency reigns supreme in airline operations.

Key advantages of checking in at the airport:

• Real-time seat availability visibility: Gate agents have access to immediate upgrade opportunities.
• Increased agent interaction: Personal interaction increases your chances. It’s about human connection.
• Immediate availability: You are present and ready for the upgrade.
• Last-minute decisions: Agents often make upgrade choices just before departure.

My personal experience? I once snagged a business class upgrade from LAX to JFK on a Delta flight simply by checking in at the gate. Pure luck, maybe, but the principle holds true. Life, like airline upgrades, is a game of probabilities. The odds are just in your favor if you are right there, ready to go.

It’s a bit like fishing; you catch more fish if you’re actually at the lake, not just thinking about it from home. It’s also surprisingly common.

Is it better to check-in later or earlier?

Early check-in? Hah! Sounds like something your grandma does. Unless you’re hauling enough luggage to start your own moving company, ditch the early bird special.

Airport check-in: the unexpected adventure. Think of it like this: you’re playing a real-life game of Tetris with your carry-on, except the pieces are your fellow travelers, and the board is a chaotic mess of delayed flights and stressed-out families. Pure entertainment!

Why bother with online check-in? It’s a digital purgatory of endless scrolling and pop-up ads. I, personally, once spent a good half hour battling a captcha that insisted my grandmother’s poodle was a bicycle. True story.

Late check-in wins, sometimes:

• Seat upgrades: Airlines sometimes offer better seats at the last minute, like winning a prize in a weird lottery.
• Avoiding the airport zoo: Less crowds, less stress. It’s like skipping the Black Friday sale madness.
• Hidden perks: Maybe you’ll get upgraded, score a free snack, or find a suspiciously empty seat next to the emergency exit (with extra legroom!).

But early check-in can be good, too. Maybe. But it can also lead to:

• Hours of boredom: Staring at your phone, slowly morphing into a zombie.
• Gate changes: Your meticulously planned pre-flight bathroom break becomes obsolete.
• Overthinking: You’ll worry about everything—lost luggage, alien invasions, the possibility that your socks don’t match.

So, yeah. Roll the dice. It’s 2024. Embrace the chaos. Late check-in, baby! Unless you are flying Spirit Airlines, then please, for the love of all that is holy, check in early. They charge extra for breathing.

Should I ask for upgrade at check-in or gate?

Check-in’s better. Always. Gate agents are stressed, man. They’re dealing with a million things. Upgrades are a headache, an extra task they probably don’t want.

It’s a gamble at the gate. You’re hoping for someone’s misfortune. Feels…cheap, somehow.

Check-in, you’re nice and calm. They’re likely more willing to make someone’s day better. A simple “any upgrades available?” Doesn’t hurt, right?

Key Considerations:

• Check-in: Higher chance of success, less stress.
• Gate: Relies on cancellations, feels opportunistic.
• My flight last month, United 234 to Denver, I got bumped up at check-in. Free wine. Felt good.

Sometimes, it’s just about the feeling you know. The vibe. Check-in’s usually more chill.

Can you still get upgraded if you check-in online?

Online check-in? Hah! Think of it like proposing marriage via carrier pigeon – charmingly old-fashioned, but unlikely to yield a penthouse suite. My experience? Negative. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Unless you’re a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite member (which, let’s be honest, I am) then it might be a little different for you.

However, I have scored upgrades post-online check-in. Pure luck, I suspect, like finding a twenty in your old jeans. The airline gods smiled on me. Once, the app even hinted at an upgrade, only to yank it away like a cruel mistress.

The truth? It’s a crapshoot. Your chances are roughly equivalent to winning the lottery – minus the exciting possibility of financial freedom. Instead of riches, you get a slightly nicer view from your slightly nicer, slightly larger window.

• Pro-online check-in: Saves time. Seriously, that’s it.
• Con-online check-in: Upgrade potential is roughly zero, unless you’re a VIP or some sort of hotel deity.

My advice? Roll the dice. Try online check-in; what have you got to lose? Besides, your time is valuable. If not, show up, be charming, and maybe, just maybe, someone will take pity. This year, I tried this tactic 6 times with varying success. It’s a strategy, darling. It is what it is. Seriously, I am not kidding. I even had a cocktail or three to celebrate that 50% success rate! I mean really.