Yes, once you check in, you have a seat on the plane someplace…just not an assigned one. Wha you get on your boarding pass is a group letter (a, b or c) and a number within that group (1-60).
Then you line up when the gate agent calls by boarding group and number.
Once you get on the plane, you choose your seat.
I have been on planes that are overbooked, just like every other airline. If that happens, the gate agents will offer incentives for folks to give up their seats…and the plane won’t go anywhere until the number needed do so.
If you need to cancel, you will get the credit (except for the earlybird check-in, which it doesn’t sound like you did) in your account for… is it a year? Help me SW experts- is that the right time frame?
Travel funds (what they call the credit) can be applied up to one year from the date you originally purchased the tickets. And I believe you also need to complete travel within that one year timeframe. Early bird should transfer if you’re changing the flight but not if you’re cancelling.
She said they were cancelling, not changing, so I thought the earlybird $ goes away if the customer is cancelling (except apparently for business select and above. Don’t know anyone who pays that!.)
The later you check in, the later your boarding number will be. Being last to board the plane means being last to select a seat. If the flight is overbooked, it can also mean increased chance of involuntary denied boarding.
Note that, even on airlines with pre-assigned seats (and especially on such airlines if you cannot get a pre-assigned seat at booking time), it is advantageous to check in on the web 24 hours before. You may be able to change to a better seat. Checking in early instead of waiting to get to the airport also means that delays in getting to the airport will not cause you to miss the check in deadline even though you still have time to get through security and to the gate.