I recently purchased an AA code-shared (AA numbered), but Iberia operated RT, JFK-MAD. I did this online with one of the credit cards that gives points and you access Travelocity on their website.

I too wish I had bought it under IB rather than AA, but I had not read the details about FF miles for the flight and I wanted all the miles I could get for my AAdvantage account. What a nightmare, I had plenty of excess time, so I have enjoyed tying up the phone lines of IB, AA, Travelocity, and the credit card travel center trying to obtain the elusive Amadeus record locator - to no avail.

I chose to fly IB so I could spend some of a Sunday in MAD and fly back at 7pm. Now I wonder whether some of that time I budgeted for will be consumed by having to go to Barajas even earlier to obtain a seat and perhaps a dreaded middle seat.

BOTTOM LINE that I can't quite ascertain from this thread, at T-24 can AA assign seats on AA coded IB operated flights REGARDLESS OF FARE CLASS?

Also, maybe at airport checkin on the outbound, I can obtain the Amadeus record locator... any thoughts?