Took a flight from DFW to BOS this morning and purchased the Early Boarding option which would put me into Group 1 and presumably also would allow for me to fly Standby on an earlier flight (presumably depending on availability). I'm sure we all know the terms but here's the link on AA's site anyway early boarding..

After going through security I went to the gate where the 9:15 flight was departing and asked about doing Standby and after handing over my boarding pass was told it would cost $50 to be confirmed on that flight (it was over an hour prior to the flight). I told the agent that I had purchased the Early Boarding option which was to allow me to do standby at no additional fee and was told "nope, it's $50. Now the fact that they would charge me to do standby at this point lead me to believe that there was in fact availability so I don't think that was why I couldn't do it for no additional fee.

While in the terminal, I sent an e-mail to AA's Customer Service via their website expressing my concern and got the following response back:


August 16, 2010

Dear Mr. XXXX:

Thank you for contacting us about our Boarding and Flexibility package of travel options. Many of our customers have expressed an interest in having a more flexible travel experience, and we are happy to offer this option.

When booking through AA.com, we will offer the opportunity to purchase our Boarding and Flexibility package on flights within the contiguous 48 states. The package
includes:

Group 1 General Boarding, giving an opportunity to board earlier than all other General Boarding groups. Earlier boarding means quicker access to overhead space for stowing carry-on luggage, and more time to get comfortable in your seat Standby for an Earlier Flight, providing the opportunity to stand by for an earlier flight on the same day.
$75 Flight Change Discount, providing a $75 discount off of our change charge when making changes on non-refundable tickets.

Pricing on this package varies depending on the length of the flight.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to outline our Boarding and Flexibility package. We are sorry for any misunderstanding which may have occurred. We will continue in our efforts to provide our customers with the services and amenities that they value. We appreciate your business and look forward to welcoming you aboard again soon.


Sincerely,

XXXX XXXXX
Customer Relations
American Airlines


So, my question is are they apologizing for the GA's misunderstanding or one that I may have had (in which case I'm totally confused)?