I've heard of stories about what big airlines are "doing to us" but I usually don't find out the hard way about them.

24 hours before your flight, the airlines allow you to check in online. People do that to save time getting a boarding pass at the airport, as well as to maybe get better seats if they check-in early. So this morning when I was checking in, on American Airlines web site, almost full 24 hours ahead, I saw how they tried really hard to make you pay for the "privilege" of picking your seats. I usually decline, as most people do, and let them assign us whatever's available, this far from flight time, it's usually good seats.

So get this. If you don't pay for seat selection, American Airlines will go out of their way and totally assign separate seats to you and your family...
I guess it's to "teach" you to pay for seat selection from now on? Unbelievable.
I just called American Airlines and the lady told me the majority of seats ARE available (!) but she can't reassign our seats because we are now in the "check-in" status with assigned (separate) seats and they can only make seat changes at the airport now...

So basically checking in on line and not paying for seats now GUARANTEES you will sit apart from your family (!) Is this what big airlines are doing now?

Does that mean we have to either CALL to check in, or do it at the airport as the only option now, if you want to sit together with your family?
Either way, it clearly looks like checking in online early is not a good idea any more.