I Learned Something New and Useful About American Airlines Check-in...

...American Airlines spokesperson Ross Feinstein clarified for me that in fact, American will still issue a boarding pass 30 minutes prior to departure for a domestic flight.

The rules say 45 minutes, because they want you to get to the airport earlier. You might have to wait in line for a check-in kiosk or manual assistance, and you may have to wait in line at security.

American’s computers are set to a 30 minute deadline with 3 minute grace period.

What this means in practice is that American can check you in 27 minutes prior to scheduled departure