Originally Posted by
nyalancat
You can always book the cheapest ticket, immediately call or chat with AA to assign her a seat next to you as a companion, and if they give you any hassle about it being Basic Economy, you can always cancel the ticket for a full refund within 24 hours and book Main Cabin instead. But I highly doubt you'll have any problems.
This is a good strategy. I do know that sometimes BE tickets don't play nice when it comes to elite benefits and companions on different PNR's.