You were doomed the minute you got into the 100-person line. I've had two flights since 9/11 on airlines on which I had no status - a round-trip with checked bags. Both times, I walked into the airport, noted the line, and walked back out to the curb to use curbside check-in. This worked well for me as I made sure to have a printed itinerary with me and we able to go straight to the gate. It's a good tip to remember (using curbside, keeping printouts with you) - even if you are an elite, sometimes it's faster.

Having said that, I still hate the way that airlines have degraded service provided to non-elites to such an inhuman level. I fly AA enough to keep status, and I like their service a lot, but I always see torturous lines at the non-status counter. It's pretty brutal, but I guess the powers that be have determined that's the best way to do business.