Really?
Even for a standby type change of flight?
Would they rather send a plane off that had plenty of CW seats empty rather than let me take a flight leaving two hours earlier because I don't have a flexible ticket?
I would have thought that in a very last minute scenario such as that, that they would view the ticket as a ticket on that particular route rather than on a particular flight and so long as I am prepared to be on standby (and get to the airport several hours before I am actually required to) and sit anywhere that is still available that I would be able to board the earlier flight.
I'll also only have carry on which I would have thought would be a distinct advantage.