i have never gotten bumped. I have always been able to get a seat when i check in online. check in exactly 24 hours in advance. decent seats will probably have opened up. if you can't get one or get a middle seat, check back again a few hours later and see if you can switch seats. there is often a domino effect where people with preferred status but regular seats can bump up to preferred for free and then more/better regular seats open up.

This is just another way the airlines have come up with to squeeze some more nickels from your wallet. They could just include all these fees in the ticket price but they want to keep that number as low as possible since that's how people shop. After you buy the ticket, the fees begin.

You might get a window or aisle seat anyway when you check in. Do you feel lucky?

OP here. I don't even care about getting the middle seat. It's only a 2-hour flight.

All they are allowing one to purchase is exit row area and "preferred" cabin, not even the regular aisle or window spots. Lame.

I wish more airlines would just go to the Southwest model...

It's a rip off to make you pay. Just get your seat assignment at the airport--the worst that can happen is that you get a middle seat. Get to the airport a bit early, or make sure you check in online as soon as the online checkin opens--usually 24 hrs ahead of time. And you can change your seat when you get to the airport as well.

I don't do it and usually end up getting a decent seat. Usually some of the pay seats are still available at the last minute so if you did get assigned a center seat you could probably still buy a preferred seat.

I hate this new approach.

You might end up with a middle seat if you don't pay, but there have been a lot of stories lately about seat maps showing all the window/aisle seats as "taken" (so people will pay up) and then when it comes time to fly, it turns out no one is actually in those seats.

No, you don't get bumped. You just get assigned a seat when you get there.

I travel frequently, but don't have any special status with American Airlines. For my return flight next month, the seat selector shows that all the "free" seats are unavailable, but I have the option to buy a preferred seat for $38. Is this a total scam? If I don't do this, will I get bumped from my flight?

Just wondering what others have experienced in these situations.