Join Date: May 1998
Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA
Programs: AAdvantage EXP/1mm/Admirals,United Silver+Club (life),Marriott Titanium,Hilton & Accor Gold
Posts: 5,064
No, you will not receive "Elite seating" in coach unless you find a friendly agent willing to go against protocal. Good luck with that. On the day of departure, I would think a Crown Room Club agent would be willing to help you obtain a better seat in coach (if such a thing exists).
Any upgrades received by a SkyMiles Medallion on Continental or vice versa is purely luck-- either through operational necessity or an uninformed agent.