American Airlines withholds some seats until the day of departure to allow our airport personnel to accommodate passenger needs. If you are unable to reserve a seat at the time of booking, you may get your seat when you check in for your flight.
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It just means that your seats aren't assigned yet. The seatmap doesn't show all available seats because not all seats are assignable in advance. You will get seats at check-in or at the gate.
Though it might sound scary, there's one weird trick airlines don't want you to know: You don't have to select a seat. On most airlines, you'll get assigned a seat at check-in or at the gate if you don't already have one.
The airlines will hold back some seats for assignment so that the gate agent have some leeway to put family traveling together, passengers with special needs, etc.
American Airlines reserves the right to assign or reassign a Main Cabin Extra or a Preferred seat at any time, for operational, safety or security reasons. In situations where this occurs and you're not reseated into a like seat you will be eligible for a refund.
The airlines will hold back some seats for assignment so that the gate agent have some leeway to put family traveling together, passengers with special needs, etc.
Unless you pay for a seat, you'll be assigned one either at check-in or at boarding time. You are, however, guaranteed a seat as much as with any other ticket.
You will likely get assigned a seat during check-in (though you should still skip it if the airline tries to tack on a fee) or, at the very least, at the gate. Again: You don't have to select a seat in order to get a seat.
If you did not opt to purchase Pick-A-Seat during flight booking or via My Bookings or web check-in 4 hours prior to flight departure, your seat numbers will be assigned automatically when you check-in. Your seat number will be shown on the boarding pass upon completion of check-in.
For a short-haul flight where you are only taking hand luggage, checking in online saves a lot of time and is therefore much better than checking in at the airport. If, on the other hand, you have to check in bulky luggage, it is better to use the classic check-in at the airport for security reasons.
After you finish booking your flight (or during the process, depending on the airline), you should click to view the seat map and make your pick. If you book your flight with friends or family members on the same reservation, they will likely be assigned seats nearby automatically.
How do you avoid a seat selection fee? If you're traveling with a group, the best way to avoid a seat selection fee is to book your seats at the same time. If the airline is assigning seats for you, it typically seats people under the same record locator number together.