May 21, 2013, 10:43 am
Last edit by: aacharya
Source: https://hub.united.com/en-us/News/Co...g-process.aspx
Pre-Boarding
Premier Access Boarding
*A Star Alliance Silver who is not a Premier Silver is not eligible for Premier Access boarding.
General boarding (Window Seats, then Middle Seats, then Aisle)
Note: If you’re traveling with a companion and one of you has a higher boarding status, you both may board with the earlier group.
Note: Self Boarding Gates are being tested at the following gates...
sUA Boarding Times by Aircraft (AFA)
Pre-Boarding
- Customers with Disabilities
- Global Services
- Uniformed Military Personnel
- Families with Children Age Two and Under
Premier Access Boarding
- Group 1: Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, BusinessFirst, and First.
- Group 2: Premier Gold, Star Gold, Premier Silver*, MileagePlus Presidential Plus, Club, Explorer and Awards, purchased Premier Access
*A Star Alliance Silver who is not a Premier Silver is not eligible for Premier Access boarding.
General boarding (Window Seats, then Middle Seats, then Aisle)
- Group 3 - Window Seats
- Group 4 - Middle Seats (Aisle Seats on UA Express)
- Group 5 - Aisle Seats
Note: If you’re traveling with a companion and one of you has a higher boarding status, you both may board with the earlier group.
Note: Self Boarding Gates are being tested at the following gates...
- IAH - Gate C25/C26 - See Post 2960, Includes YouTube video from CO777DAL
- IAH - Gate E4 - Old test from pmCO days, See Thread Here
- BOS - Self boarding gates are now back in *LIMITED* use at least at gates B25 and B26
sUA Boarding Times by Aircraft (AFA)
United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [Revised, May 2013]
Nov 20, 2015, 6:48 pm
#4891
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Mileage Plus
Posts: 215
Sub CO boards all 737s 35 minutes prior to departure
Sub UA boards all 739ERs 45 minutes prior to departure.
When Sub CO FAs are checking in for a trip at a layover city they board the aircraft 45 minutes prior to departure; passenger boarding is at 35 minutes prior. Sub UA FAs checking for a trip at a layover city board the aircraft 55 minutes prior to departure; passenger boarding is 45 minutes prior
sub CO:
757/764/787/777:
FA check-in 1:15 prior to departure at base cities; 1:00 at layover points
On board aircraft 1:00 prior to departure
Passenger boarding: 50 minutes prior to departure
737:
FA check-in 1:00 prior to departure at base cities; :45 at layover points
Passenger boarding: 35 minutes prior to departure
Sub UA boards all 739ERs 45 minutes prior to departure.
When Sub CO FAs are checking in for a trip at a layover city they board the aircraft 45 minutes prior to departure; passenger boarding is at 35 minutes prior. Sub UA FAs checking for a trip at a layover city board the aircraft 55 minutes prior to departure; passenger boarding is 45 minutes prior
sub CO:
757/764/787/777:
FA check-in 1:15 prior to departure at base cities; 1:00 at layover points
On board aircraft 1:00 prior to departure
Passenger boarding: 50 minutes prior to departure
737:
FA check-in 1:00 prior to departure at base cities; :45 at layover points
Passenger boarding: 35 minutes prior to departure
JK-SFO
Nov 21, 2015, 11:43 am
#4892
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SFO, formerly of ORD
Programs: MileagePlus Premier 1K
Posts: 48
This remains a myth. Bags themselves do not slow down the boarding process, nor do people board with these "giant size" bags everyone complains about.
The difference is knowledge and preparation...in other countries I see passengers board in the right order, move quickly, stow their bags quickly, stay out of the way and sit down immediately. The flow of passengers is much smoother and cabin crews are there to keep things moving.
In the USA, even with the busiest aviation industry in the world, I can't count the number of people I see boarding with a completely bewildered look, clueless about where to go, what to do, where their seat is, where their bags goes and they stand in the aisles like deer caught in the headlights holding up the flow and backing other passengers out into the jetway.
The difference is knowledge and preparation...in other countries I see passengers board in the right order, move quickly, stow their bags quickly, stay out of the way and sit down immediately. The flow of passengers is much smoother and cabin crews are there to keep things moving.
In the USA, even with the busiest aviation industry in the world, I can't count the number of people I see boarding with a completely bewildered look, clueless about where to go, what to do, where their seat is, where their bags goes and they stand in the aisles like deer caught in the headlights holding up the flow and backing other passengers out into the jetway.
As for the bag speed issue, it is possible for a person with bags to board much faster than a clueless person without bags. That being said, on average the boarding speed of those without carry-ons is faster. There's a great journal article on this topic - Tang et al., "An aircraft boarding model accounting for passengers' individual properties," doi:10.1016/j.trc.2011.11.005.
Nov 24, 2015, 2:56 pm
#4893
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA ExPlat, DL Plat, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 109
PL on Group?
Random question that I can't find an answer for anywhere:
Had a friend flying HNL-ORD who had 'PL' listed as her boarding group and was allowed to board before group 1 but after GS.
Does anyone know what PL is for? She's a platinum with the united explorer card if that makes any difference.
TIA
Had a friend flying HNL-ORD who had 'PL' listed as her boarding group and was allowed to board before group 1 but after GS.
Does anyone know what PL is for? She's a platinum with the united explorer card if that makes any difference.
TIA
Nov 24, 2015, 3:31 pm
#4894
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,404
Random question that I can't find an answer for anywhere:
Had a friend flying HNL-ORD who had 'PL' listed as her boarding group and was allowed to board before group 1 but after GS.
Does anyone know what PL is for? She's a platinum with the united explorer card if that makes any difference.
TIA
Had a friend flying HNL-ORD who had 'PL' listed as her boarding group and was allowed to board before group 1 but after GS.
Does anyone know what PL is for? She's a platinum with the united explorer card if that makes any difference.
TIA
Nov 24, 2015, 3:40 pm
#4895
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,014
Random question that I can't find an answer for anywhere:
Had a friend flying HNL-ORD who had 'PL' listed as her boarding group and was allowed to board before group 1 but after GS.
Does anyone know what PL is for? She's a platinum with the united explorer card if that makes any difference.
TIA
Had a friend flying HNL-ORD who had 'PL' listed as her boarding group and was allowed to board before group 1 but after GS.
Does anyone know what PL is for? She's a platinum with the united explorer card if that makes any difference.
TIA
Nov 24, 2015, 3:48 pm
#4896
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA ExPlat, DL Plat, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 109
Nov 30, 2015, 2:40 am
#4898
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
Saw this great sign on all the podiums at ORD a few weeks ago. Hopefully it's combatting gate lice!
IMHO - Dumb sign. What is the purpose of boarding lanes if not to wait in them?
If you wait until your group is called, then only a single lane is needed. And who cares if people stand in their appropriate corrals? Maybe people who want to board first but are too lazy to stand up and wait. 
Nov 30, 2015, 2:55 am
#4899
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
Sexykitten your photo isn't displaying...on Chrome or Safari.
Nov 30, 2015, 5:21 am
#4900
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4éme
Posts: 12,026
Last week flying MCO-IAH after pre boarding GS/disabilities etc, GA called 1st class and group 1 passengers to board.
Nov 30, 2015, 7:44 am
#4901
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Chicago
Programs: United 1K
Posts: 477
IMHO - Dumb sign. What is the purpose of boarding lanes if not to wait in them? If you wait until your group is called, then only a single lane is needed. And who cares if people stand in their appropriate corrals? Maybe people who want to board first but are too lazy to stand up and wait.
If you wait until your group is called, then only a single lane is needed. And who cares if people stand in their appropriate corrals? Maybe people who want to board first but are too lazy to stand up and wait.
Nov 30, 2015, 7:46 am
#4902
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,389
Nov 30, 2015, 5:57 pm
#4904
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,389
Nov 30, 2015, 10:28 pm
#4905
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 5,814
I haven't seen boarding process drama in awhile but it was pretty bad at MBJ ....
Group 2 people were clogging up the premier access lane (as there wasn't any space to begin with). Group 1 then just bum rushed into the Group 3-5 lane as they couldn't get around Group 2-- this was before boarding started. When they started pre-boarding, Group 3-5 people surged to the gate and ran over an old wheel chair lady. The eyes on her face grew as she saw the wall of people coming towards her. Then people just started yelling at each other and no one could hear anything (even the announcements).
I just stood back in horror. By the time I boarded, the FA asked me what happened because people look like they came from war as they were boarding. This new boarding procedure can't come soon enough!
Group 2 people were clogging up the premier access lane (as there wasn't any space to begin with). Group 1 then just bum rushed into the Group 3-5 lane as they couldn't get around Group 2-- this was before boarding started. When they started pre-boarding, Group 3-5 people surged to the gate and ran over an old wheel chair lady. The eyes on her face grew as she saw the wall of people coming towards her. Then people just started yelling at each other and no one could hear anything (even the announcements).
I just stood back in horror. By the time I boarded, the FA asked me what happened because people look like they came from war as they were boarding. This new boarding procedure can't come soon enough!