I would certainly take 3 in Y over 2 in Y+. And I am 6-1 about 200lb.

As far as the redit story, If the seats were properly purchased then this should not have happened. Alas seat assignment screwups do happen, so the call button was appropriate for that.

It is important that the extra seat be booked as EXST to indicate it is the adjacent seat for a non real passenger. If one just purchases a random 3rd ticket and reserves the middle seat, then when the 3rd pax does not checkin DL can assign a waitlist pax to that seat. For me, I just booked as last name = exwannanbe and first name = EXST and all worked fine. Though I did call in to be sure.

I have twice done this with an expiring companion cert, and both times had to fend off seat poachers. I have to give credit to one guy (in the window with me in the aisle), he asked me if his GF could move up. And added that she was a model :-)