It's a completely empty row, therefore affecting exactly ZERO people other than OP himself.

I'm slightly amazed at the rush to defend airlines after they do their best to work us over day after day after day for things that were standard 10 years ago.

Dear OP: I would do the same thing and not think twice about it. If anyone has a serious problem with it they really need to take a moment and think for a second. It's different if someone moves into an already-occupied row, but seriously...we're all in cattle class, some of us are in marginally better cattle class, don't be so godawfully miserable.