Boarding airplanes

Convention isn’t always right.

I forgot to do my “digital check in” for my flight this morning. It wasn’t until I received a notification in the middle of the night that my flight was delayed did I find my check in email and confirm I’d be on the plane and get my spot.

So, I was in boarding group 9, the very last one.

Even before of the 8 groups ahead of me, passengers with special needs, military personnel, and folks who paid extra were able to skip to the front of the line. Clearly, being the first in line is important!

Every flight I’ve been on in recent memory has assigned seats, so getting on first doesn’t score me the best spot. Aside from wheelchairs or other tangible, practical reasons to get settled before a stream of people and baggage flood in, why is everyone vying to board?

I was the third to last person to get on the plane, which meant I was able to sit in the airport for longer. I had more wiggle room, my bag next to me, and the air was just a little more fresh. By the time group 9 was moved through the gate, all the special checks were out of the way, and the line was moving continuously while I was in it. I wasn’t battling a bunch of elbows getting situated, and it was a minimal amount of time from when I sat down and when the seatbelt light went on.

Don’t hesitate to question what everyone around you desires.