This thread is confusing, because there are two conversations going on simultaneously:
1. How airlines work on the utopian planet Zebulon Beta, where everything is done exactly as it should be done.
2. How airlines work on Earth, and particularly legacy U.S. airlines.

I'll leave the first discussion for others. In the second discussion, I would advise OP that he has a substantial potential that he and his wife will sit apart unless he pays the $25. What are his chances? Nobody knows. What should he do? Only the OP can answer that question.

OP - if you were intending to participate only in the first discussion, my apologies, and please have a nice discussion.