Airline Elite Status + Basic Economy Fare = ?

I have Platinum status (50,000 miles + $6,000 in one calendar year) on American Airlines. Benefits include complimentary auto-requested first class upgrades on short flights, early upgrade confirmations, mileage bonuses, priority checkin, 2 free checked bags, ability to select seats with extra legroom at no extra cost, and a variety of other perks.

In the last several years, many airlines have introduced low-cost airplane tickets that have certain restrictions. American Airlines has a Basic Economy Fare that has the following rules:

Have you ever wondered what would happen if an American Airlines customer with elite status (i.e., Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Executive Platinum) were to buy a Basic Economy Fare? Which rules would prevail? Specifically, the benefit that I care about the most is the ability to select a seat with extra legroom, and that comes with all levels of elite status.

As I was booking my American Airlines flight on Expedia, it defaulted to the Basic Economy Fare for $331 and asked for an additional $160 to get around the restrictions above. Since there was an Expedia policy to allow for free cancellations within 24 hours of booking, I selected the Basic Economy Fare, completed my transaction, and then went to the American Airlines website to see if I could leverage my Platinum status to select a seat. What do you think happened? Drumroll please...

The Basic Economy Fare restrictions trump the Platinum status benefits. Boo! Hiss! I have never achieved Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum, but I assume that the Basic Economy Fare restrictions prevail over any kind of elite status. I also assume that other airlines would have the same policies, but I have not personally verified. In any case, thank goodness for Expedia's 24-hour free cancellation policy. Turns out that I found a better flight on Southwest for less money. Hooray, Digital Daddy for the win!