Looks like a Group C-er to me.
Group C:, your boarding group is a ragtag bunch, indeed. A mix of rumpled college students, couples arguing about whose job it was to check in for the flight, and always — always — a dude who looks like Guy Fieri, down to the flame-print shirt.
While standing in line for my Southwest Airlines flight the other day, I looked around and realized I had found my people. I was in the very last numerical section of boarding group B, numbers 55-60. The mood in my section was structured but laid-back; people were cracking jokes and socializing while still paying attention to the boarding process. While the assembly of boarding Group A had resembled a North Korean military exercise, and members of group C were still sprinting toward the terminal, yelling, “Don’t leave without me!” my countrymen in the last section of Group B were chill, affable, and just barely as efficient as necessary.
It was in this moment I realized how much you can glean about someone’s personality from their Southwest Airlines boarding group. With the exception of one time that a technical glitch placed me in Group A, I’m always a late B/early C. What are you, and what does that seemingly simple letter say about your personality? Read on to find out...
Group A
You’re the type to set an alarm exactly 24 hours before your flight just to check in and get a spot in the first boarding group, and that rare breed of meticulous tenacity extends to all areas of your life. You’re a classic go-getter. A striver. The kind of person who can’t focus if you’re in the same room as a crooked picture frame or a bowl of M&Ms that aren’t sorted by color. The phrase “good enough” doesn’t exist in your vocabulary. You’re dependable to the max, if a bit tightly wound. God help the person in front of you in line at Hudson News who’s taking too long to find a quarter.
Career-wise, you’re the boss, or, if you’re not the boss yet (emphasis on YET), you’re the boss’s dream, going above and beyond in every way. You tend to define yourself by your job title, and the thought of letting go of that identity gives you hives (this might be something you want to work on, Group A). Your desk is so beautifully organized it could be part of a MOMA exhibit called “The Artful Workspace: A Retrospective.” You dust that floorboard behind the couch at regular intervals and don’t keep mascara longer than three months. All your bills are on autopay. You own a briefcase and one of those leather iPad cases. You’ve got your fucking shit together.
When it comes to love, you’re the pursuer, never shy about getting what you want, whether that’s a new promotion or a date with your crush. While you may be curious about the laid-back, freewheeling Group C as a romantic match, steer clear. It might be a fun flirtation, but it will never work in the long run. Group B can help loosen you up, and other As can match your drive and ambition.
As far as partying is concerned, you’re either a teetotaler or a rager — maybe you alternate between both, but never in between. With you, it’s either “I’m not drinking tonight, thanks,” or “FIREBALL SHOTS FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO MAKE OUT.” There’s a wild child within you, Group A — make sure you give it a healthy outlet.
Group B
Oh, Group B, the charismatic middle children of the Southwest passenger family. You stay on top of things without taking life too seriously. Your suitcase is organized into neatly-rolled outfits, but there’s a good chance you forgot to pack toothpaste. You respect rules, but see them as general guidelines more than hard-and-fast requirements. You have mastered the “just rolled out of bed but my hair looks amazing” look. Early Bs are super into Ed Sheeran. Late Bs are obsessed with The Weeknd right now.
With your affable personality and go-with-the-flow attitude, you make friends easily wherever you go. You’re great at breaking the tension with a well-timed joke, which is why your best friend always invites you to Thanksgiving at her emotionally unstable aunt’s house. You want people to like you, a trait that can manifest as a charming quirk or a compulsive need, depending on how things are going in your life. You still brag about the superlative you won in your senior yearbook. You want to make the world a better place, and wouldn’t be averse to winning a high-profile humanitarian award in the process.
Dating has never been a huge challenge for you, thanks to your charm and charisma. In fact, you probably obtained a phone number or two while waiting to board your flight. You can be superficial though, and tend to idolize people without fully getting to know them. You own all of Emma Stone’s movies on Blu-Ray. One of your goals for the coming year is to learn how to brew your own beer.
You probably did a few sessions of therapy in college and feel like you dealt with everything you needed to deal with. And hey, maybe you did, but Group B, don’t let your lighthearted nature keep you from looking deeper within.
Group C
Group C, your boarding group is a ragtag bunch, indeed. A mix of rumpled college students, couples arguing about whose job it was to check in for the flight, and always — always — a dude who looks like Guy Fieri, down to the flame-print shirt.
But that superficial description doesn’t do you justice, Group C. You’re a smart, complicated, fascinating posse. You’ve got a laissez-faire attitude about check-in times, but only because you have a deep, abiding faith in the universe. What’s the rush? Why try to control something as chaotic and uncontrollable as an airplane seat assignment? While most people deplore the middle seat, you see it as an opportunity: two different people to get to know. For you, every day is an adventure, a buffet of limitless possibilities. You’ll say “yes” to everything once, which is why you have a misdemeanor or three on your record.
In matters of love, you trust that the universe will bring you together with your person. You’re deeply romantic but not rushed. Remember that movie Serendipity when Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack totally hit it off but instead of just giving him her number she writes it in a book and sells it at a used bookstore and says, “If it’s meant to be, you’ll buy this book in 20 years and call me”? Or something like that? I don’t know, I never saw it. But that sums up your approach not just to romance but to life: You’re unhurried, trusting, whimsical. You have multiple pairs of flip-flops to coordinate with different outfits. You have a loose plan to move to Hawaii in five years.
You’re creative to the max, which sometimes translates to getting lost in your own daydreams. To ensure you turn those daydreams into reality, consider partnering up with a Group A or B to keep you accountable. You have so much to offer the world, Group C, but you must push yourself to ensure your grand visions become reality.