The reason that checking in earlier doesn't get you the first spot in line isn't that the tickets go really fast like concert tickets. It's because customers wh

The reason that checking in earlier doesn't get you the first spot in line isn't that the tickets go really fast like concert tickets. It's because customers who are on a connecting flight can check in 24 hours before their first flight and therefore more than 24 hours before their connection, giving them priority. I almost always have a better seat on my second flight than my first on Southwest. This isn't a bad strategy by them as it tends to give better seats to people on long itineraries who have been waiting around, and since those people fly long distances they are also high-value customers.