I almost never book my seat when flying Business Class. I suspect many others do the same. I wouldn't question the unassigned seats in this case.

But you'll want to check that your status on the waitlist is according to procedure. Check-in as early as possible.

That's the trouble with certs. Buying a trip just to use the cert and flying in economy sucks. But, it is the way the system works. Unless you have top status, it's always a crap shoot.

When loyalty backfires, is about the same time the customer defects. That's the gamble AC is making. Although you can't blame them for trying to sell the seats.