1) Avoid checkin in early, as you will not be able to change your seat assignment online afterwards. 2) Check the seatmap frequently on the day of departure (or use an ExpertFlyer seat alert), as exit row seats may become available as elites are upgraded (I think exit row seats and all other Preferred seats become available to all passengers on the day of departure, but I'm not 100% sure on that). 3) Ask at the airport.
Without status, you won't be able to preselect an exit row unless you purchase a full-fare ticket. Therefore, your best chance is the check with the gate agent as soon as he/she arrives at the gate. Before I was an elite, I had moderate success in obtaining an exit row seat in this manner. As far as I'm aware, exit row seats are not made available for non-elites even within 24 hours, whether online or at the kiosks.
I would start monitoring seat maps starting at 72 hours prior, when folks get upgraded. At that time, their old seat gets vacated (and oftentimes, it's a nicer exit-row seat). I'm pretty sure at 24 hours @ onlinecheck you change your seat around.
I think this is right. A few weeks ago I was monitoring seats on day of departure for my (non-status) Dad, and noticed that some aisle seats that had started as "preferred" eventually became just "regular" seats as we got close to departure. But the exit rows always stayed preferred, even up to departure time, even though they showed as not taken when I logged in as me. He eventually got 7D when he got to the gate, which he likes better than exit row anyhow. I'd recommend this to the OP as well. They'll try to sell it to you at the kiosk sometimes, but if no one buys it you can have a GA assign it to you.
Before I had status, I would ask the GA if there were any exit row available. IMO, exit row seating is one of the best perks of status.
I agree ... unfortunately I just lost all status due to taking award trips on other carriers this last yr or two ..
With only Gold Status you can take this seats....BUT, if you don't have this status, I personally reccomend that you arrive early and TALK, TALK and ARGUE with the check in personell. My experience says that with a GOOD TALK you can achieve almost anything...(including exit seats...)
Quite possible the seat becomes available late-in-the-game, when vacated via a late-clearing upgrade, so it certainly wouldn't hurt to ask. If the OP has no status, and the exit row seats are already taken, all the talking in the world won't change that. The plan to "argue" may only come in handy when there has been a clear mistake or mishap on AA's part for which AA is slow to correct. If the exit row isn't free, rather than arguing for some magical solution to remove its occupant, the precious few minutes with that busy GA might be better spent on alternatives (a seat with an empty seat next to it, an empty row, an aisle seat, etc.).
I have booked seats for non-elite friends, AND when this happened been on fully booked flights, once previously selected exist seats clear for upgrades AND they become the only open seats in Y -then you will be able to select them online between 72 and 4 before departure. That is a bunch of things that need to occur but it does sometimes happen. Good luck!
