United Charging $70 to Avoid Middle Seat - Thoughts?

So I read this thing in the New York Times where United Airlines is charging $70 just to dodge the middle seat if you're not a frequent flyer. The CEO's been defending it, but honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I mean, I get that airlines want to make extra cash, but $70 sounds kinda steep, right? Especially if you're already paying a lot for the ticket.

I wonder if this is gonna become a trend with other airlines too. Like, are we gonna see more of these charges popping up everywhere? And what about those of us who fly occasionally-are we just stuck in the middle now unless we cough up more money?

I guess I can see how this might work for frequent flyers who get perks and all, but for the rest of us, it feels a bit much. What do you all think? Would you pay extra to avoid the middle seat? Or is this just another way for airlines to squeeze more out of us?

$70 sounds pretty steep just to avoid a middle seat. I get it, nobody likes being squished in the middle, but that's a lot on top of already high ticket prices. I wonder if this is just the beginning and soon every airline will start charging for things that used to be free. It might make flying even more expensive. Personally, I'd rather save the money and hope for a good seat assignment. Anyone else think this might backfire and push more people to budget airlines?