My most typical train travel is between Wilmington, DE and NYC. Wilmington being in the middle of the route, seats can be hard to find as it is. Luckily, for my next trip (booked before they started the backwards seats) it made economic sense to use Acela northbound and business class southbound. Amtrak changed my seat on the southbound but its still forward facing.
Going forward, if the price difference between coach and Acela/business is too high I'm going to consider Greyhound. Two hours isn't too bad on a bus, and I'd rather do that than ride backwards. Schedule isn't quite as convenient but is doable- Port Authority is actually more convenient to my destination (theatre distict) than Penn Station. Luckily, I ususally am booking a few months in advance and often am able to get cheaper fares- sometimes Acela is actually lower than coach.
Point is- I doubt I'm the only NEC rider who will consider other options to avoid having to pay top dollar to ride forwards.