Originally Posted by
orbitmic
my guess is that he/she was hoping to be able to use seats that were not earmarked for awards and that would unfortunately be impossible.
..Unless these seats have now opened up. Just before departure they often do if there is last-minute availability.
The whole thing in regards to changes is easy though. AF does not allow standby. You can change your flight if your ticket allows changes, and this might require a fee depending on your ticket conditions. And there must be availability of course.
So in that respect it does not really matter if the OP changes his flight now or at the gate just before departure. The fees and rules will be the same.