I'm not an AA elite at the moment so i can't select the only seat available on my CRJ flight this evening ($16 exit row).

Interestingly, it won't allow me to check-in online as a result.

I feel like this is ridiculous because if they oversold the flight and I don't get to the airport ahead of others then I may not even get on the flight. My understanding is that when oversold precedence goes in order of check-in.

As a business traveler with options this is the kind of thing that makes me go southwest or some other airline with a different policy.

Is there nothing I can do?

-lta