[Sandyf]

In order to print out a boarding pass, you must have a seat assignment ON ALL YOUR SEGMENTS. Although there were 12 available seats on my first leg--and it was 20 hours before the flight, I was told that I would have to come to the airport on the day of the flight to get a seat and print a boarding pass. My flight leaves at 6am. Hence, my desire to take care of business the day before.

Work around: FLY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES!!! You don't get a pre-assigned seat which sounds problematic but I've never had a problem getting a good seat. And, as long as you have a reservation, you can print out a boarding pass! So why did I reserve with AA's? Their schedule was a bit faster and I thought perhaps I'd give them another chance. Lesson learned? The major airlines don't change. Better to fly airlines like SW that try to do it right all the time. And they don't charge for the first or second baggage. And there stewards have a great attitude.