This is my second time flying with VA, but I'm making switch away from Star Alliance, for a variety of reasons, after 11 years with Continental.

Tomorrow I am booked on the 11am from SFO to FLL, cross country. There are 11 seats available on the earlier flight, which leaves at 7:50am.

I'm told I need to be there 2 hours before to fly standby. Is this in fact true?

Also, on the phone today the agent was very vague about availability. While it shows 11 seats online, she said, "that doesn't mean there are 11 seats available."

I then asked, "If there are 4 first class seats, would they upgrade people from main cabin select, to give me a seat on the plane?"

she refused to answer this, and then I asked, "let me put it to you this way, is there a chance, based on my fare level, that even if there's a seat available on the plane, if it's not in my class of service, the airline wouldn't put me on the plane?"

her reply, "it's really up to the desk at the airport. i can't answer that."

any thoughts here? my wife and i bought two seats on later flight, and have to be at a wedding tomorrow night. the "difference" in fare costs more than double the tickets themselves at this point.

i was told i could "pay $50 to be at the front of the standby line, at the airport..."

I said, "what if everyone did this?"

"I cannot answer that, sir..."

thoughts?