Originally Posted by
ISTFlyer
Your husband might have a positive experience in the past but once things go wrong, there is no way back on AA flights.
It's definitely a YMMV situation and it's the risk of the passenger to take it.
You are right ISTFlyer, YMMV. I only did it on cheap tickets that earned him an average of 5 to 20 tier points, so the benefits of Main Cabin Extra on those flights outweighed the risk to him. If you get upgraded using your AA status, you will not be able to change your frequent flyer number.