I wish they had picked a system different than airplane boarding.

Group one does represent status, but we also all can't board at once, carry on space is limited, and god knows everyone standing around the line to get on the plane is already a problem enough that it would be worse if it was just everyone trying to board at once.

I also feel like the status obsession isn't as common as the writer thinks. Status may influence what we shop for, but I'm not sure it is as present in everyone's mind as the writer thinks.