Damm... I was going to say that before I'd even read this thread. I just saw the title and was going to post it.
True story...
Yesterday in BHM we taxied out for CLT at about 38 past the hour. We had been given a 51 past void time. Anyhow, they were using 24 and it's pretty good taxi to the end so we'd told them we could take intersection Bravo or Alpha 7. They told us to go to the end anyway. So off we went.
About the time we got to the end Southwest called for taxi and was given instructions to taxi to intersection Bravo (as were the next two Southwest planes that called to taxi although the Eagle RJ the called was given full length).
We called ready at the end and was told there was a plane on final (
about 4 miles out.... heheh) and were told to hold short. The plane lands and clears and Southwest is cleared for take off from Bravo. I *politely* asked tower if we had some sort of wheels up time we didn't know about and he sort of hemmed and hawed and then said yes, we did, it would be just a few more minutes. But when I asked him when it actually was he just said "soon". Then he proceeded to launch the two other Southwest flights off from Bravo and then cleared us to go.
I was actually pretty ticked off about the whole thing but seeing as it's pretty much SOP in a lot of places, and I hate to be one of
those whiny pilots, I let it go, until this thread popped up.
As far as the OP's question... I'd guess best equipped, best served. Assuming everything else is equal.