Not so relevant to the OPs point - although I can certainly understand where he is coming from - is that after losing many $$$ of earphones and pens etc in exit row seats, I now actively avoid them, haha! Also, I think I prefer the armrest removal in normal seats and chat up the check-in/lounge staff to find me a seat with no one next to me
About seat selection: there is a slippery slope in EKs eyes with regards to the seat selection: one of EKs selling points now is that you can choose your seat for free (and once a year travelling families enjoy this) - it's an important product differentiator for them in a the markets they compete in where not only LCCs where a good majority of their Y customers are used to flying but also network carriers charge for presenting if you aren't a FFP member. (c.f. QF, BA etc.). An argument could be made in EK management meetings that if you start to actively differentiate things for FFP members with regards to seat selection, you could start to also make charges for more seat selection and then that starts to irritate your price sensitive pax. I think it's a pretty weak argument myself and I think the reality is more a combination of EK IT can't be bothered and EK not really caring too much about giving lots of Skywards benefits. After all they must have data saying that Skywards members aren't actively not choosing to fly EK because they can't choose exit row seats, so there's no upside in changing the status quo apart from some fluffy ego stroking. Also in the case of IRROPS or dropping the ball with regards to pax, having no guaranteed seats for elite FFP members means you can use them as a kind of service recovery without actively irritating your elite FFP members who can't fall back on an "this is a published benefit, give it to me" excuse.