Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - AA Gold have any chance for getting exit row prior to day of flight?

I know this has been covered at some point, my google search has not been able to find the right answer here, so my apologies.

With the recent further cutback of AA SEA-ORD flights, it's looking like AS is my choice here. Is an AA Gold able to pre-book AS exit row with a phone call? Is it worth even trying?

I appreciate any insight, as this 6'6 frame is looking at two (4 hours each) middle seats next week!

An aside:
I have a bad feeling, given the way things are going here (AA BOS flight gone, AA MIA flight gone, half the AA ORD flights gone), that I'll be wondering if AA status is worth anything in the SEA market, and when to switch to AS.

AA status is given no preference for seating assignments or boarding order on AS, just as AS status is given no preference on AA.

oops.

AA status is given no preference for seating assignments or boarding order on AS, just as AS status is given no preference on AA.

While there are varying opinions among FT'ers of the practice, I think if you poke around on FT (use advanced search on Google) you will find that AS has been known to comp equivalent status to people with your frame of mind. That would get you the ability to grab exit row seats in advance, among other things.

From experience, AS will only comp/match status from a non-partner airline. AA is one of AS's partners.

So you'd have to find another program to ask AS to match-comp you on.

Honestly, I don't think AS cares who they poach from. They are not in any alliance so they have nothing to lose but everything to gain. It certainly worth a try to anyone seeking a comp. The worst thing they could say is no. :eek:

I find that if you book on Expedia you can choose an exit row. The flight will have to be an AA codeshare so that it will recognize you as an elite. Expedia doesn't know the difference that you technically can't do that but you are fooling the system. I find that when you choose the seats you will be confirmed in them and then you go back the next day and you will have no seats. Just got back choose the seats again and then they will stick. Hope this helps!

Aside from having a valid AS MVP or MVP Gold number in the reservation, buying a full -Y- class fare also overrides the inhibitor that normally keeps exit rows from being preassigned.

Aside from having a valid AS MVP or MVP Gold number in the reservation, buying a full -Y- class fare also overrides the inhibitor that normally keeps exit rows from being preassigned.

Thanks for the tip... I'm on a reservation in a few days that's Y on the way out, H on the way back. Sure enough, I was able to reserve an exit-row seat on the outbound flight, but not on the return flight.

I find that if you book on Expedia you can choose an exit row. The flight will have to be an AA codeshare so that it will recognize you as an elite. Expedia doesn't know the difference that you technically can't do that but you are fooling the system. I find that when you choose the seats you will be confirmed in them and then you go back the next day and you will have no seats. Just got back choose the seats again and then they will stick. Hope this helps!

Thanks for this suggestion - it may be worth giving up the 1k miles from the web in order to be more comfy.