Originally Posted by
alphaeagle
Are they planning on blocking most seats, so you can only choose mostly middles towards the back?
Yes.
As a Gold I'll probably be getting very little benefits with basic economy tickets. So the option would be to pay more, or end up being a de facto non-elite.
This is exactly the point to these fares. They aren't lower fares. They are the same price fares with fewer benefits that make people like you and me pay more to avoid them.
Neil