Paying for early bird check in then upgrading to A1-A15 at the gate?
 

Hey guys. My wife and I are flying from Chicago to San Juan in a couple weeks. She really needs extra leg room after a recent knee surgery and can't bend it past about 70 degrees so we wanted to get on the plane as soon as possible. I know that sometimes the "pay at the gate" upgrade for the A1-A15 positions aren't always available. So I'm not sure if we should do early bird check in and then the upgrade at the gate? Would I be charged twice? Once for early bird then additional for the upgraded position at the gate? I just don't want to risk it either way.

I know the usual "You may also purchase the Business Select® Fare to guarantee receipt of an A1 - A15 boarding pass. Alternately, if you are a Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred or A-List Member or purchase EarlyBird Check-In®, we'll automatically reserve your boarding position before general checkin begins."

I know she can board earlier but there's only so many seats with extra room.

Thanks in advance!

Yes you would be charged twice, and there's no guarantee of Upgraded Boarding being sold. Best chance it to buy it is at the ticket counter before other pax ask at the gate. Since you are boarding at MDW there is a possibility of through pax already in the desirable seats.

Or said another way, they do not REFUND the EB purchase price.

I agree that buying at the counter could give you a better position.

You can check FlightAware and see where your plane normally comes from and GUESS as to how many are through passengers. I will say I have boarded many flights with a handful of through passengers and never seem to find them in the exit rows.

Doesn't "recent knee surgery" impacting mobility qualify for pre-boarding?

Would only help getting bulkhead. No exit rows.

I'm guessing that the inability to bend the knee past 70 degrees would be a disqualification for exit row.

Pre-boarding is wildly abused but this screams out as a need for it and one should take the opportunity. There are 6 bulkhead seats and you should go for them, even if a FA has to try and relocate someone else once inside.

My wife recently had a knee replacement and used pre-boarding while recovering, just so she could sit in the front row. She also had a wheel chair to the gate because of the distance she would have had to in many airport. She found the literature rack in front of the middle seat made a good leg rest while flying. I got to be her +1 on some flights even though I don't really like the bulkhead seats.

Pretty sure ANYBODY with preboard can not do exit row.

Yeah, but don't think that's the point being made. If they decide not to declare a need for a medical pre-board, and try to take an exit row with a leg that doesn't bend, that itself should be a disqualifier for sitting in the exit row.

I was once on a flight when a woman with a full leg cast sat in the exit row. An FA told her she couldn't sit there the woman protested - "But I need the extra space!"

True - agree.

And... if somebody needs extra help or has some issue that requires SPECIAL boarding, they are not capable of assisting in the event of an emergency.

6 of one, half dozen of the other.

<scratches head> Um...

Half Doze. Famous feature of Yosemite.