I don't know for sure. However when the flight is $200 RT in BE and $500+ in Main, I am speculating most are booking BE

On another BE flight tomorrow morning . T-24 and tons of middle seats in the back still available. Cheapest aisle is $27 for less than 2 hour flight in lucky row 13.

You'll definitely get those if you check in now. I heard AA basically gives you the cheapest seat first so you can use that to tell middle seat vs back row.

For BE international, is it normal to have to wait for T-24 of the second leg to be assigned the seats for that flight? Wondering if it's just weird codeshare shenanigans or if it's always that way.

In just a few hours most of the middles in the back went (beyond row went 24). Also curious why 19 and 20 are both almost all open. This screenshot was T-16. Are all the seats available usually shown on map or are some hidden? I wish I could wait until after security to check in but unfortunately you need boarding pass for that, lol.

Does it fill cheapest or from the back first? IE would 20c (aisle $27) go before 11b (middle $19)
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c152fe468e.jpg

I always Checkin T24 out of habit even with BE. If I don’t like my seat selection then I purchase a better seat.

My understand is that BE will fill middle seats always starting at the back. So if you checked in at the time of taking this screen shot presumably AA would assign you 23E. However, the seat map may not always reflect exact seats assigned so nothing is for sure. Again, with BE your best bet would be to wait until T-1 and check in. At worst you'd get a middle seat similar to 23E, at best the only seats left would be a MCE seat and you'd get one of them. Possibly an aisle or a window if it's your lucky day. If you don't want to play the seat lottery then pay for the seat at check in you really want.

AA also deliberately mixes up the algorithm (or introduces some randomness into it). All designed to make it hard to game the BE seat assignment lottery.

The goal is to get you to shell out for a seat, not to make you happy for free.

Do u still need to go to the counter or kiosk to check in? Or can I do it electronically?

You can check in online and no need to go to the kiosk or agent.
only united required you to go see agent before getting thru security

I booked regular economy for about two weeks out - 2.5 hr flight - no aisle seats to choose for free, only middle and window - traveling solo. Annoyed no aisle seats from to chose and I didnt even book BE

Its funny exit row aisle towards row 23 is $33 colored green (not MCE) and $52 for the row 22 right in front colored red/orange (MCE). I realize MCE includes some small freebies but the exit row in front is also the one that doesnt recline

My experience with the 3 BE fares is that the seating algorithm fills the worst seats first...from back of the aircraft middle seat first
There is no evaluation of elite status with the airline to adjust seating-which seems to me to support the idea the airline is conveying its displeasure at a frequent flyer purchasing a cheap seat.
Must admit all 6 flights had from 15-20 seats available behind the exit row so no real insight into how it behave with a full plane
Check in times ranged from moment window opened to perhaps 4 hrs before departure.

I was on a recent connection and over half the plane was BE (group 9). I knew this because I was #1 on the standby list and the flight was full so I had to wait until T-15 for them to kick off the no-shows. It was definitely the case that most of the people who boarded in group 9 were in MCE.

The only way to avoid this would be to treat MCE as a separate cabin the way Delta does. They process "upgrades" to comfort+ at the gate, prior to assigning seats to BE passengers.

Unless someone has status, there is very little reason to book main cabin and pay the 70 + extra dollars. If someone doesn't have status, all it does is give them the chance to pick a seat in the back of the plane. Basically to avoid a middle seat and get a window or aisle in the back of the plane, and the ability to purchase better seats ahead of time. Of course, basic economy passengers can spend the same amount to book those better seats within 24 hours of departure. Other than that there is no benefit. There's not a huge difference between group 8 in group nine, although it's more likely that a bag will make it on the plane in group 8. Also, in my experience, if a flight is full, there's a good chance that I will end up in main cabin extra on a basic economy ticket if I wait until 45 minutes before departure to check in. And, for obvious reasons, there is zero benefit of booking main cabin over basic economy on American Eagle. The only reason why I would ever book main cabin is if I had status. I would much rather save my 70 plus dollars and have a chance of getting free main cabin extra.

Just my from casual observations it seems as though AA sells more BE fares on low demand days. So on a Saturday afternoon or evening flight more Group 9 paxs. At some point the only thing left to assign them are MCE seats, possibly a window and aisle. That's why the best piece of advise is not to check in until T-1. In theory AA could upgrade into MCE and fill those seats with BE fares but I just don't see that happening.