Traveling for business, I've paid extra for a flight that cut my coast-to-coast travel time from 8 hours to 6 hours (can't get nonstop flights to LA from my airport). That was the difference between "do I visit my client today for a few hours or do I go straight to the hotel and see them tomorrow".
The difference wasn't worth paying Concorde prices, but it was an extra $200 and since my billing rate is over $500/hr and considering the hotel prices in LA, the client was happy to pay it if it meant seeing me the same day I flew in.
I'm an information security consultant. I don't make $500/hr, that's just what my company bills clients for my time. I make a small fraction of that :)
I haven't imagined the cases like yours, but that's exactly the thing I was aiming at - there are thresholds for which a shorter trip makes a qualitative difference, which is worth paying a premium for.
The difference wasn't worth paying Concorde prices, but it was an extra $200 and since my billing rate is over $500/hr and considering the hotel prices in LA, the client was happy to pay it if it meant seeing me the same day I flew in.