Alistair, I have a couple of points/questions:
1. For this HVC with a new baby, this charge has a significant impact. Before the change I could simply select a bassinet seat at the time of booking and it cost me nothing. Now I have to pay for it--even in J class, which feels like petty nickel-and-diming. I know the advantage is supposed to be some certainty that I will, in fact, be allocated the bassinet seat, but TT ex MEL there are frequently enough changes d/t operational issues that this guarantee does not hold much water for me.
2. The ability to choose a seat ahead of booking is being sold as an advantage of the new system, however the two are not intrinsically linked. I happen to know that this part of the system was trialled at least two years ago and deemed to be "too confusing". It's pretty irritating that something that could have been of great benefit to a few of us years ago was too confusing when there was no money to be made, but somehow acceptable now.
3. You are selling exit rows that used to be reserved for airport use. How are you ensuring that those who purchase these seats are suitable for exit row seating? I suspect that having paid for such a seat makes it more difficult to reseat someone who should not be seated in an exit row--this seems like a conflict of interest to me.