So tonight in YUL, I'm booked on the 7:30PM to YYZ. Get there at 6:30PM, and go to the lounge, and ask to go stand-by for 7PM. Agent says it's $50, but it's so close to boarding, I'd have to go to the gate to process it.
I go to the gate, the agent says, it's $50, but he's about to start boarding, so asked me to go back to gate 1 to see the Customer Service Desk.
Go to Gate 1 customer service desk...nobody there. Call YUL concierge, who says yes there is room, but is $50, and asked if I really wanted to spend that to save a half hour, so I decline.
As scripted, the 7:30 flight is only half booked, so they cancel it, and send everyone to gate 5 for the 8PM flight, except no aircraft until 7:45, so it leaves 25 minutes late.
To boot, no less than 11 AC staff in J...seriously, I had to double take and count twice, before I headed back to Row 28.