Off to Moscow on an e-ticket, a delayed DAL flight from ATL to IAH made me late for a connection through JFK for SVO. The meetings in Moscow were to begin two days later, but I wanted to be there early. Delta was over-booked and put me on CAL. Three hours late (NY weather) and at LGA instead of JFK, I was put in a hotel (thank-you) and then given a seat on an undersold Aeroflot flight the next day.
It always pays to "go early", especially on international trips.