– Why do airlines let passengers check-in online 24 hours beforehand? By checking in, shouldn’t they confirm a passenger is actually at the airport?
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I might be wrong about this as a layperson, but I think 24hr online check in does 3 things.
1. Checking in online is a ok proxy for missing a flight. If you don’t check in because you forgot about it and/or are super disorganized, there’s a better chance you aren’t going to make it.
2. Making everyone check in online the day before helps more people make their flights. It’s forcing people to think about it and make a plan, which reduces how much rescheduling the airline has to deal with.
3. As reward/benefits programs and upgrades have grown to a large portion of their business, it’s another time when the airline can try to upsell and separate customers based on their willingness to pay. Want to get a guaranteed seat before check in? pay more earlier. Unhappy with the seats available at check in? pay more to upgrade.
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