Wow, I was hoping maybe the 77A would be used for regional routes (e.g. PVG, PEK) where higher capacity is needed. The fact that it is on 2 of the longer routes is not a good sign.
I find that box under the Y seat really bad for extending your legs. If they make it 31, ouch. Making it 10 across would also be bad - they would have to replace almost all the seats, not just the center ones, right?
Then I guess decreasing Elite = increasing the price differential... Hopefully that also makes space for the passenger to walk from one aisle to another within the cabin.