A couple of years ago flying AS from SNA (Orange county) back to OAK. Arrived at the airport 30 minutes before departure time and got held up at the check in counter because agent told me computer wouldn't put me on so she put me on the next flight (Even though the computer wouldnt let me on, she could have told me to go to the gate anyway and they would have allowed me on imcompetent agent, anyway) So I arrived at the gate for my original flight and saw the door was closed (still 15 minutes from departure time). There was still a gate agent at the counter so I told her what had happened. She told me to get to the airport earlier next time and made a phone call and reopened the gate for me ^