Safewing, I don't doubt what you say, and I have seen similar things happen in other countries with other carriers.
Very often what happens is that the operations dept has a back door into the start up coordinator , or knows some little trick, that gets his bundle of aircraft in ahead of everyone elses.
Fair? no , Frustrating ? yes, but if they keep whatever the little "secret" is to themselves what to do.
Best solution is to do what one of my ex colleagues in BM was reputed to do when their was big delays @ LHR.
Somewhere in the Bovingdon hold his dulcet tones could be heard asking to be put in the start sequence for his next flight.
Well, his doors WERE closed ,as they often asked
