Getting back to the thread topic which appears to be:

Are exit row seats a real benefit of 1P/1K??

My answer is YES.

We used the other main benefit yesterday - free SWUs to upgrade SYD-Mexico flights, and all were UG in seconds after booking.

I could pre-book exit row 15 upstairs both ways on-line.

Now THAT is the reason I stay 1K with with United for 8 years straight. Period. ^ ^