1) I really object to charging for the emergency exit row. I saw this on United a while back when I noticed that they classified the row as 'Economy Plus' and I thought back then as I thought now. For safety reasons, this row should be left empty unless the flight is full or it has been specifically requested at check-in by someone who can be judged to be physically capable of handling the door in the event of an emergency. As others have mentioned I can see the uncomfortable conversations agents are going to have with people who have paid for these seats only to have them taken away when realised that they do not fit safety requirements. In short, this is not something that should be charged for.

2) As for the bulkheads, I will certainly miss this privilege. As an elite, I would take row 12 for many of my flights and very much appreciated the extra room, especially for transcontinentals. I too found it annoying to receive an e-mail which by tone seemed to imply something good was happening, only to realise that a key privilege of my status was being taken away. Unlike the exit row issue though, I don't really have any moral indignation over losing access to the bulkhead.