Originally Posted by
segacs
With most airlines, I'd say that you might wait until you get to the airport and then simply go to the ticket counter or gate agent and nicely request to get a seat on an earlier flight. If there are seats available, they will likely do it. They might charge a change fee, they might not, depending on how good a mood they're in.
To my knowledge this is a North American thing, and quite often a FFP benefit (?). I have not come across a European Airline doing or offering something similar. Apart from TK on domestic routes. This is just my person experience and impression from reading these forums though.