Minor correction here... If you do not have one and do not select one at check-in you'll likely be unassigned until at the airport. They generally do not start clearing folks into those seats for free until at the gate after they've had plenty of opportunities to sell the EML seats.

If the only non-EML seat open is a middle then that's what you'll get unless you also buy up.

There is some additional discussion about it in this recent thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/jetbl...groom-fee.html.