Originally Posted by
Dave Noble
It may not cost anything, but it is something that some people value and will pay for
On top of that , those that do value it and will pay for it are likely to gain since those not prepared to pay for it will not have grabbed seats
Charging for seats is something that AA's JBV does for those without status and for anyone booking its cheapest fares within Europe
There's a difference between charging for all advance seat assignments like Frontier and Spirit and not allowing advance seat selection at all like Delta's basic economy fares. By not allowing seat selection or changes, Delta's fare is actually more restrictive than Spirit's (and usually more expensive).
I hope AA wouldn't deny themselves the revenue opportunity of monetizing all seat assignments on these fares.
Edit: Delta doesn't allow elites to sit in their equivalent of Preferred or MCE seats
at all when traveling on basic economy fares, though they still earn full mileage. Hopefully AA isn't as draconian.