This thread had seemingly devolved into bickering, so I thought long and hard if I should open a new one (but ultimately decided against it).
I wanted to share this ridiculousness for a JFK-MXP flight I just booked for
May 2020:
Of course, this seat map technically does still provide the option to make a
free seat assignment. (Heck, my wife and I could even opt to sit together as long as we give up our ability to recline on a transatlantic flight.) But this practice is extremely deceptive and worth calling out, even if some FF have somehow tricked themselves into thinking that such exploitative schemes by airlines are justified or desirable.
In this particular case, I had actually booked regular over basic economy because I assumed we'd be able to get decent seats together for a flight that's ten months out.