AA allows great discretion to the GA to skip upgrades and to a lesser extent standbys to get the flight out on time. I was #1 on the list with 4 open seats and waited at the gate area hoping my patience would pay off. No such luck, I was last to walk down the jet bridge along with the GA. He kept apologizing but said there was no time. He wouldn't even let me just take one of the open seats in F. It did not stop some AA uniformed employees from the jump seats and bulkhead to fill them up. My complaint from AA confirmed the agent was within policy.