American Airlines: Main Cabin Extra vs. Preferred Seats in 2024

American Airlines offers economy passengers the following seat options.

• Standard Seats – Available at no extra cost to everyone with a Main Cabin fare (non-basic economy) and above. Standard legroom. They are located towards the middle and back of the plane. If towards the front, usually only middle seats are available.
• Preferred Seats – Same legroom as Standard Seats. Preferred Seats are usually located towards the front of the plane and include aisle and window seats. May cost $50 or more.
• Main Cabin Extra Seats – They are located towards the front of the plane and in exit rows. They include more legroom, free alcohol, preferred boarding, and dedicated overhead bin space. They may cost $150 or more.

This article will go over the benefits and costs of each seat type so you can decide if upgrading is worth it.

American Airlines Main Cabin Extra Seats

Main Cabin Extra seats are a significant upgrade over Preferred and Standard Seats. Luckily, I hold American Airlines Platinum Status, so I can select Main Cabin Extra seats for free when booking. Here is where you’ll typically find these seats

• Bulkhead rows
• The first two or three rows of the plane. On some aircrafts, they go to row five.
• Exit-row seats

Main Cabin Extra Seat Benefits

• Extra Legroom – American Airlines says its Main Cabin Extra seats offer up to six inches of additional legroom depending on the plane. Some seats, notably those in the exit rows on some aircrafts, offer more than six inches of additional legroom.
• Complimentary Alcoholic Beverages – Those sitting in Main Cabin Extra seats are entitled to free beer, wine, and liquor. This benefit could save you a ton, depending on how much you drink. When ordering liquor, I find flight attendants usually bring me two at a time, so I usually always have enough to drink. I have heard reports of flight attendants limiting free alcohol to Main Cabin Extra passengers if they appear intoxicated, so keep that in mind.
• Preferred Boarding – Passengers in Main Cabin Extra seats board with Group 5. This is the first group to board after priority boarding (groups 1 to 4). Please note that those holding elite status sitting in a Main Cabin Extra seat board in line with their status benefits (groups 1 to 4).
• Dedicated Overhead Bin Space – Those sitting in Main Cabin Extra seats enjoy dedicated overhead bin space. Unfortunately, my experience says flight attendants do not police the overhead bins.
• Potential Seats Towards the Front of the Plane – Most Main Cabin Extra seats are in the first few rows in the economy section, so you’ll be one of the first passengers off the plane. Some Main Cabin Extra seats, such as those in the exit row, may be as far back as Row 20.

Further Reading: Best Seats on a Plane and Worst Seats on a Plane

Main Cabin Extra Seat Costs

Depending on the route and your status level, Main Cabin Extra seats vary considerably in price. Here are a few important things to know.

• Cash Prices (Main Cabin Tickets) – I have seen Main Cabin Extra seats sell for as low as $20 for short domestic routes and as high as $170 for international flights. I have not found prices to decrease as the flight gets closer, so buy when you see a price that works for you.
• Mile Prices – In most cases, American Airlines sells Main Cabin Extra seats for around 1 cent per mile. For example, a $100 cash price would cost 10,000 miles, give or take a few hundred miles. I value American Airlines miles at 1.5 cents per mile, so I prefer redeeming miles by booking flights.
• Complimentary for Main Plus and Main Select Passengers – Those who purchase Main Plus and Main Select tickets receive complimentary access to Main Cabin Extra seats at booking. These tickets generally cost more, however, so decide if it makes sense to buy one of these tickets as opposed to just paying for the seat with a standard main cabin ticket. Main Plus and Main Select fares also include a free checked bag and additional benefits.

Complimentary Main Cabin Extra Seats for Elite Members

American Airlines AAdvantage elite status members and oneworld elite status members are eligible for complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats. Here is how it works.

• American Airlines Elites at the Time of Booking: American Airlines Concierge Key status holders, Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Platinum members may select Main Cabin Extra seats for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation at the time of booking.
• Oneworld Elites at the Time of Booking: oneworld Sapphire or oneworld Emerald members who hold status with Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Qatar Airways, or Japan Airlines may select Main Cabin Extra seats for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation at the time of booking.
• American Airlines Elites Up to 24 Hours Before Departure – American Airlines Gold members may select Main Cabin Extra seats for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation up to 24 hours before departure at check in.
• Oneworld Elites Up to 24 Hours Before Departure – Oneworld Ruby members who hold status with Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Qatar Airways, or Japan Airlines may select Main Cabin Extra seats for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation up to 24 hours before departure at check in.

More Thoughts and Tips on Main Cabin Extra Seats

Here are a few more thoughts on Main Cabin Extra seats.

• Shoot for Platinum Status – Complimentary upgrades for American Airlines elite members are not as common as they once were. That is why I recommend aiming for Platinum status as opposed to spending extra resources to obtain Executive Platinum status. Platinum status members can select Main Cabin Extra seats at the time of booking, which I believe to be among the most valuable benefits. While first class is great, having an aisle exit-row seat with free alcohol is not far behind!
• Use the Main Cabin Extra Seating Chart to Figure Out Upgrade Odds – As previously mentioned, complimentary upgrades to first class for elite members are pretty rare these days. If most of the Main Cabin Extra seats are selected weeks before the flight, the odds are higher that there are many other elites on the flight, which lessens your odds of a complimentary upgrade. This may make it easier to decide if purchasing a cash upgrade is worth it as well.
• Consider Not Selecting a Seat – Those who do not select a seat may be assigned Main Cabin Extra seats at check in if they are available. If you could otherwise select a seat, I do not recommend doing this. I actually scored Main Cabin Extra seats before I had status by purchasing a basic economy ticket and checking in at the airport, so it is possible.
• Check Your Credit Card Benefits – Some travel credit cards, including The Platinum Card from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve, offer travel credits that can be used on flights. The American Express Platinum card offers a yearly up to $200 airline incidentals credit that can be used to purchase Main Cabin Extra seats on American Airlines flights. The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a general $300 travel credit that can also be used to purchase Main Cabin Extra seats.

Further Reading: Use The American Airlines AAdvantage Shopping Portal and SimplyMiles to earn more loyalty points for elite status.

American Airlines Preferred Seats

Preferred seats are not exciting and are rarely worth paying more for, in my opinion. Here are a few things to know.

• Preferred Seats are Standard Seats Closer to the Front – Preferred seats offer nothing extra besides a better location closer to the front of the plane. They are still behind the first few rows of Main Cabin Extra seats, however.
• Preferred Seats Cost More Than Standard Economy Seats – I have seen preferred seats run anywhere from $15 to over $50. In miles, that equals 1,500 to 5,000. I do not think paying cash or miles for preferred seats is worth it.
• Those in Preferred Seats Board in Groups 6 through 9 – Unless you have elite status, you’ll board in Groups 6 through 9, which is the same as everyone else in the main cabin.
• Elites Get Preferred Seats for Free – American Airlines AAdvantage Elite Members and oneworld Elites Can Select Preferred Seats when booking. This includes American Airlines Gold members as well as oneworld Ruby members.

What About American Airlines Premium Economy?

Premium economy is an entirely different cabin that is only available on select American Airlines flights, mostly international and certain domestic routes. It is similar to a domestic first-class seat as opposed to an extension of a true economy seat. It beats Main Cabin Extra in every single way, but it is not available on most domestic flights, and it is generally more expensive. Additionally, elites can’t select premium economy seats for free.

The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts – Main Cabin Extra Seats Are Often Worth It

Main Cabin Extra seats are a must for me when flying in economy on an American Airlines flight. Despite potentially costing a lot of cash, they offer more legroom, free alcohol, preferred boarding, and more. Check your American Airlines and oneworld status benefits to see if you can select Main Cabin Extra seats for free. If not, check your travel credit card benefits to see if it offers an airline credit for American Airlines flights.

Featured Image Credit: Phil Dengler of The Vacationer – Taken from a Main Cabin Extra seat on an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Kansas City.