Same Day Standby Question
 

I have an upcoming (prior to 1/1/03) trip DCA-SNA (on Continental) for a weekend getaway/quasi mileage run (T fare at $156 thank to a post by srodr in the Mileage Run forum). I originally planned to leave on the 5:15PM flight, but my schedule has changed and I would now rather take the 8:45 AM flight.

My understanding is that I can show up at the airport and standby for the earlier flight. I plan to arrive at the airport around 7:30AM and go to the eService Center. My understanding is that the machine will be able to identify me and my reservation (for a flight 10 hours in the future) and give me the option to change to an earlier flight (and the appropriate connection at the hub). It will then give me my boarding pass for the earlier flight, I can check my bag, and off I go to security.

My questions are:
- Is this the way it works?
- Would it be better to stand in line for a human agent? Even if the line is long?
- Should I arrive earlier?
- Is my assumption that being on a cheap T fare is irrelevant to the process correct?
- The machine will give me the boarding pass for DCA-HUB and HUB-SNA at the same time (ie I do not have to standby again at the hub)?
- If I pretend to buy a ticket the night before to look at the seat map online and see lots of empty seats, is it reasonable to assume my standby attempt will succeed?

Thanks. Could not find relevant info via searches. (Lots of info on upgrade standby though).