American Airlines is ending the practice of blocking middle seats next to it’s elite frequent flyers (filling those seats last to increase the likelihood of an empty middle next to an elite sitting in coach).

They say it presented problems for kiosk check-in, raising costs because more people had to visit live checkin agents. So the coach experience at American, already being devalued with the elimination of “More Room Throughout Coach” on some routes, is being made worse. I know who I won’t be flying.

(Thanks to David Rowell for pointing this out.)