Or I guess I could just have my wife board with my ticket. They don't check IDs anymore at the gate, I wonder if they really look at the names on the tickets at all? Problem is, that's a dangerous game, she needs to check luggage, if she checks it under my name (which, we can do, because we'll be at the ticket counter together), and doesn't pull off boarding with my ticket, the luggage will be unloaded. And the reverse it also true, if she uses her ticket to board the luggage has to be in her name...
What we need is another friend on this flight who wants an exit row seat.
I think the safest thing is, I'll check in for both flights and have her board with her boarding pass and sit in my seat. Yes, the GA computer will show the seat empty, but I'm not sure the FA will go up and check with them if FC has a person sitting in every seat. Worst case, she gets up and gives the seat to the person who's next on the upgrade list, right? She can just claim that I missed the flight.