Condor,
Have you seen this documented anywhere on the aa.com web site? I have been told over the phone that this benefit is not new, but nobody has mentioned it before.
And yes, Pudding guy didn't even put all of his miles in AA! He shouldn't have stopped.
I'm also wondering if the new coach seats will have the same legroom as the first class seats (though of course their seat widths will not be the same).