I can empathise, having overestimated the time I needed in Crawley last week and then sitting for nearly three hours in Gatwick for my return to MAN - and with no lounge access.

But, if the opportunity to be considered for standby was extended to cheaper tickets, even for a fee, I guess people would take a gamble and not pay for the full fares. With so little time to work out how many seats are free, I can see why they might not want the hassle unless they need to.

It can sometimes be advantageous to book two tickets (obviously as one ways), and then ditch the one you don't need.

Depends on how often this happens to you as whether you think its worthwhile or not.

Regards
R3dV