Hating United is in vogue, and no it's not really "that bad". But you're essentially asking "should I spend ($80) to travel in a higher cabin?", and the answer to that is a million times yes. If you're even considering a $1,350 one-way Y flight then I think it's pretty clear you have the budget to afford PE. It's not just "some legroom" like Economy Plus on United: it's a higher class of service on par with U.S. domestic First Class.