If you plan on sitting in Y and want as much legroom as possible then consider paying extra for an exit-row seat or bulkhead seat. Having status with the airline helps too if you want to secure one of those "premium" seats in Y since some airlines don't charge for those seats.

If you have hotel points/airline miles you may be able to trade someone on CC(once you reach a certain amount of posts) for a UA/AA/CO SWU to fly in C or F.