I'll double check, but I think the only thing literally locked behind a subscription is Command XP. Players are able to do Flashpoints and even Operations, they just can't get loot from them (FP after they do so many and none at all from Ops).
So the activities are all still there, it's just the loot that's locked, really. Still a shitty system, though.
I wouldn't necessarily be surprised either at this point, just more disappointed. I just don't understand how you can make the decision to lock actual content behind a subscription when you're a free to play game. LotRO does this too, and it's awful, it's what made me stop playing it.