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    Just to state the obvious: Earlier flights at more convenient times are sometimes (often?) more expensive. If they allowed you to hop on an earlier flight without extra charge, you could book the later flight and just show up for the earlier flight - if the earlier one is unlikely to be fully booked, this would allow you to fly the earlier one cheaper.
    – DCTLib
    Commented Jan 19, 2017 at 20:18
  • You need to consider reporting requirements. At least flights into the USA need to have their passengers reported to the authorities and the EU has just voted on a similar thing in 2016 although it's not yet in effect.
    – user4188
    Commented Jan 19, 2017 at 20:27
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    @DCTLib If they are charging more for the more "convenient" time they would still have the opportunity to sell those tickets at the higher rate for people willing to pay that premium. (Note: Early morning, earlier may mean less convenient.) If the time comes for departure and clearing the standby list, and those seats still aren't sold, then there were not other customers willing to pay that higher price; revenue isn't lost there. Folks showing up early hoping for a standby spot run a strong risk that the flight will be full and they'll just have to keep waiting for the original schedule.
    – WBT
    Commented Jan 19, 2017 at 20:32
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    I have been in airports quite a few times early enough for an earlier flight, (to be told that only a new bougth full price tickets at premium price indeed, would get me on. No thanks.) I was just that early as the other option would have been 'too late'.
    – Willeke ♦
    Commented Jan 19, 2017 at 20:37
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    @nsn Moving passengers up helps the business have more flexibility to deal with the consequences of the delay-causing unpredictabilities it already faces, and as far as I know airlines already defer those adjustment steps/decisions until just before takeoff because they already don't know who's going to miss the flight etc. Further, some of these changes could be requested, offered, etc. via automated kiosks where such kiosks are present.
    – WBT
    Commented Jan 19, 2017 at 20:43