Hmmmm.... I paid to pre book our seats but that is because we wanted extra leg room seats. I think that even if this wasn't the case I would still pay to book our seats just for peace of mind that we will be sat together... I guess that's the control freak in me!!!
I keep checking our flight booking and yes, the whole economy cabin is showing as pretty empty but I now realise that this may be because people are not paying to book seats in advance. I'll be interested to see how busy our flight actually is when the time comes.
Ali.