premium seating
 

I went online the other day to print up my currnet reservation and noitce that you can view and change your seat. So i change my seat from 20a to 17a. How come i can do it online but when i call to ask to change my old seat i get "oh i can give you the front row as those are for elite. I did the cahnge online thought co.com with my account number I amn't even close to elite and had no problom.
when boarding the plane after first class then elite 17 ona 757-200 last to board or first.

That is indeed odd. But anyways, CO board 1st class, elites, and then from back to front. So you'll be one of the last passengers to board, except for the non-Elites who managed to get rows 7-16, either by changing it during check-in or borrow someone's else's Elite number to log on.

"Premium" seats are often made available to anyone at checkin. So while a non-elite can't reserve them in advance or over the phone, you should usually be able to snag one at online checkin.

Not that "premium" really means "better" or anything... It's just closer to the front.

For this entire year I have been able to reserve premium seats at booking on discoutned fares. I don't know how, or why. A rep even asked me once when I called to get Exit Row. I think they might have some sort of targeted perk or something with this. Because if my fiance tries to do it under her number she can't. And neither of us have status this year...