I don't think it's going to serve any purpose. I doubt very much that Aether's lockdown during prime time has anything to do with AFK players creating congestions. I think it's SE's way of getting prime time players to stick to other data centers for group content.

If you have friends that can't get to Aether, there's nothing to stop you from going to them. You're guaranteed a return to Aether when you're done.