IAH-OIL-TRASH

Well, then you are actually part of the problem. You may not want to admit it, but if you are hovering around before your group is called, you are a lice. Your argument falls into the "They do it, so I have to do it, also" category. I am lice too (depending on which cabin I'll be sitting), with the same reasoning.

I think people in general do follow the boarding procedure, but they do it so from a hive at the entry to the boarding lane. I think UA needs to test out the multiple lane concept and spread out the people who (no matter what boarding scheme is implemented) will drift to the boarding area once the jetway door is opened and boarding announced. Let's see what happens.

TommyC80

I don't think so. I think this change (that we'll like) is just another in a list of data points that indicate a profound lack of judgment. This is the newest example showing that this airline really doesn't understand 1) who its most important customers are 2) what these customers value and 3) which is going to be the next straw that breaks the camel's back and sends everyone packing

Jeff always touts the route network as a differentiator. Well, that only gets you so far. Having a decent route network doesn't give them a license to debase their entire frequent flyer program, but that's what they're doing...and it will catch up with them.

These people are too busy drinking their own COolaid.

At some point people will vote with their feet. I'm someone who has always been willing to pay more to fly CO/UA. Those days are rapidly drawing to a close - the actual and perceived benefits of this program are evaporating, and economically it no longer makes sense to be loyal to this airline. There is a reason I dropped from 1K to gold this year. I'm depleting my mileage balance as fast as I can so I can get off this hamster wheel.

flavorflav

As GUWonder noted, it happens but not that often. There are many foreign military officers who spend time in the U.S. fostering military-to-military relationships. At Fort Benning, a couple hours from ATL, there is an office whose sole mission is to handle logistics for foreign officers studying at Benning's Maneuver School of Excellence, aka Armor School. The Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk has a ton of NATO officers studying there. It's not unusual to see a foreign-uniformed military officer walking around downtown. One of the other parents at Baby Flavorflav's day care in Virginia Beach was a Polish army officer who was always in uniform when he dropped off his kid. (Which was a little awkward as the day care was at the Jewish Community Center.)

Back OT, I've wished that a foreign uniformed military officer would jump up and take advantage of the preboarding just to mess with everyone. But being over here is a plum assignment and those guys are too astute to "mess with everyone" on a IAD-ORF flight and risk getting sent home.

rwmiller56

My emphasis added. This was the last straw for this Gold. I'm packing...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...l#post20017673

abaheti

We're all spending a lot of time (including me as a 1K dropping to Gold) concerned about, and discussing, our issues with how the various levels board and the credit card holders. That seems like a done deal for now, until UA comes out with yet another boarding process which hopefully addresses our concerns. But...

Slightly OT, but goes to a larger issue: Here's what I keep pondering. Airlines are fundamentally logistics organizations. I am surprised by how hard it has been for the new UA to come up with a boarding solution. And, dare I ask, is this indicative of operational problems we may not see as flyers? I guess it is no coincidence that Southwest has boarding down, turns planes faster than almost anyone, and generally runs the trains on time. I'm not saying it is easy to nail boarding procedures, but should it really be this hard for a logistics organization to avoid scrums and boarding area angst/chaos/stress?

goodeats21

My guess is the boarding process cluster is due to competing interests inside UA. I am sure the various factions are fighting / lobbying based on their self-interests.

The Mileage Plus group is pushing for their credit card holders, which bring in $ to the program, which I am sure looks good to their bosses. A sub-section may be pushing for elite recognition...though probably not.

Operations is pushing for efficiency and mostly concerned with turn times.

There may be other stakeholders pushing their agendas (gate agent supervisors, airport operations, etc).

This feels a lot like output by committee instead of directed leadership.

aacharya

WN has a totally different model built and managed this way from Day 1. Bags are not an issue (free), there is no E+, seats are not assigned, and there is only a revenue-based FF program that is not part of any alliance.

Apples and oranges.

Data point from this morning. IAH-PHL on a 753 (no IFE, 8 F seats).

Called as per the new procedure. There were no GS or pre-boards, and hence Group 1 called 30 seconds later. Approximately 10-12 cleared - and when they called Group 2 - there were about 8 people lining up.

This might not be a typical route - but perhaps the Group 2 CC's aren't as numerous as one may imagine. The kettles that do have them just tend to be the loud/annoying ones.

edcho

I think the issue here is that not one boarding procedure will work universally. Row boarding worked for CO because it had a specific fleet type with a much smaller elite base. I believe WN has all 737s with no elite base so they've discovered a boarding process that works for that specific fleet. That process may or may not work for UA (i.e. issues with programming for it, etc -- i'd give it a try though). UA has many different elite levels, promised priority boarding for CC members (which I don't specifically agree), and everything going from an EMB-120 to an 747.

I am not too surprised that they can't find something that works for them, but I am surprised that it is taking this long to do it (and alienating their elite members at the same time).

We've been at this for almost a year now and it's sad.

wmute

If I ignore the "fly 50K or pay $85 for a CC", issue and focus on the boarding process alone -- for my routes, Premier Silver fliers are a very large group. Non elite-CCs have the potential to be a large group, but maybe aren't today. As a gold, my boarding group goes from small (usually a few people), to very large (dozens). So we change from a small/orderly process to a (relative) cattle call. A definite degradation.

JC5280

Just watched FOUR 1Ks block the blue carpet on a ORD-EWR flight which kept the GSs from boarding. I'm 1K, I know to stay back a bit and not lice that gate.

I noticed about a dozen folks come through that blue carpet lane during GS/military boarding. About half were turned away by the gate agent. One lady was group 2 and claimed she thought she could board with 1. Three others were group 1 and held to the side while others passed by. The gate agent also turned away someone with three bags who tried to board. Told him to go consolidate and then get back in line.

I do give a thumbs up to the gate agents that actually enforce this.

abaheti

Completely valid/fair point. And, as a frequent Southwest flyer since 3/3, I didn't mean to minimize those differences. I should have used Delta or American as the example where I don't seem to see this type of mess. After 9 months operationally and longer in planning, I am just still surprised by it not working and also by the really poor roll-outs.

naumank

I just realized that UA Explorer card holders are in Group 2 (I originally thought only UA Club Card holders.)

I have a classic UA Visa Signature Card. Does that make me eligible for Group 2? I believe I'm paying $160 annual fee (vs $95 for Explorer Card).

Flyer420

+1

no, considering half-life issues, make that +2 = +1

my .5 worth...

Flyer 420
waiting in line in Seattle

Critic

Amen to that.

GUWonder

Did UA get the airport to remove seats in the terminal? Sounds like a recipe to create more boarding problems and more annoyed passengers. Lack of proper seating areas in the terminal and checked bag fees are substantial causes to the boarding mess that UA is supposedly trying to now "fix".

I might be speaking heresy here, but if too many elites are part of the problem causing the scrum, adding credit card holders to the elite boarding group scrum is not going to fix anything; but hiking up elite status qualification requirements may have a chance to ease up on the elite boarding scrum.