Buddy pass risk?

So my best friend has a family graduation coming up on September 30th to Chicago. She told me about it a few weeks but didn’t propose me coming until a week ago. She said I wouldn’t need to pay for anything other than my ticket . She has no problem paying any airport fees or getting me food. Her family already booked a huge Airbnb and have transportation available. But if I came , she could just rent a car so we’re not stuck with her family the entirety of the 6 days they’ll be there.

She paid $700 for her ticket.

Here’s the caveat. I however, do not have $700. The cheapest I could find was about $451 from PHX TO ORD but it had a lot of restrictions and their’d likely be extra fees. Next best thing was about the same price she paid for security.

I recently lost my job and shes aware of that. I have very limited funds at the moment . I’ve been trying to do odd jobs here and there but won’t make it fast enough. My sister, however, works for the airlines and offered one of her buddy passes. With the pass I’ll only have to pay $217.

This seems like an amazing offer but I didn’t realize that with buddy passes, you’re lower on the priority list and on standby. My sister found a flight early in the morning that has no standby for now. I’ll have to fly alone which I’ve never done so my parents are highly skeptical. They’ve used her passes before and were bumped a few times.

My parents are worried with my funds being so limited that there is a possibility I’ll get a delayed flight. I told them worst case scenario, I get bumped off the flight in my home state and I simply don’t go .

Then they said what about the fly back and I possibly get stuck in the Chicago airport without my friend.

I asked my sister ( hence the flight she found ) what were my chances if I booked the earliest flights possible, especially because I saw on TikTok people saying to do that. I’d rather get there hours early before her and wait for her then get there too late and get left behind ( which I don’t think she’ll do but still).

Do you guys think this is too risky of a move? I really want to go , but I understand where my parents are coming from.