Been like that for quite a number of years now. The big bugbear was when I was flying from DME when they still classed it as long haul and used the mid-haul A321 then subbed it for a shorthaul aircraft and still charged an extortionate amount for the exit seats. I even seem to recall at one point a few years ago that Bronze/Blue and non-members could pay for seats including exit rows but Silver could not. Specifically remember this from my days in either Hong Kong or Beijing.