Seating assignment on the web is done by the Web Check-in element of the booking system. FFP data, including status, is held in the FFP system, which is, for the most part, a completely separate system.

Getting the FFP status of the guest into the Web Check-in system at the time of seating assignment and thereby opening up exit seats to elite members only would almost certainly be a BIG integration task. If you've ever had any experience integrating mission critical IT systems of this size, you'll know what I'm talking about.

This is not an Etihad-only issue - it's how these systems generally work. Lufthansa is the exception in this industry, as they have a particularly well integrated FFP side.

I'd be interested to know if you've seen any airlines other than the Miles&More group offer this functionality. Not saying it can't be done, but I'd imagine it would be a lot more trouble for most airlines than it's worth.