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United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [Revised, May 2013]

Old May 21, 2013, 10:43 am
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Last edit by: aacharya
Source: https://hub.united.com/en-us/News/Co...g-process.aspx

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)
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United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [Revised, May 2013]

Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:03 am
  #4576  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SJC/PIT
Programs: AA EXP, AS 75K, TK Elite
Posts: 519
I think the policy has been group 2 for a while, but in practice I've been getting group 1 as TK*G. It certainly doesn't make sense given that premier golds only gets group 2. Sure it's disappointing but looks like UA IT is finally catching up with the policy.
MtRoot is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:05 am
  #4577  
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA 1K, Citi Prestige, AMEX Platinum, SPG Gold
Posts: 720
Originally Posted by JBord
Wouldn't make sense for UA Gold to board in group 2 if *A Gold boarded in group 1 would it?
Sure it would. I mean UA Gold doesn't get lounge access in the US, while *A Gold does.

However, it doesn't make sense for *A Gold to get group 1 unless United is willing to upsell group 1, which for the moment they are not.
ftweb is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:11 am
  #4578  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: ORD/CLE
Programs: UA 1K HH Diamond
Posts: 293
this has been in place since they went to 5 groups. and also been a subject to frequent griping from gold members like myself because we fly up to 75k miles and board with CC holders with thousands of less PQD. hence why the group 2 line is generally around half of the plane on peak time business routes.
rolltribe is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:18 am
  #4579  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
Originally Posted by ftweb
Sure it would. I mean UA Gold doesn't get lounge access in the US, while *A Gold does.

However, it doesn't make sense for *A Gold to get group 1 unless United is willing to upsell group 1, which for the moment they are not.
Technically, that's correct. But I think there's a presumption that in that case the flier is most likely outside their home country. It's certainly a loophole though.

Putting some *G over other *G (earned on UA) for boarding doesn't make any sense at all. It doesn't cost the airline anything, while allowing all UA Golds to access UA clubs could be significant. If this has been happening, it's clearly an IT issue that has now been fixed.
JBord is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:23 am
  #4580  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YOW/HBA
Programs: Qantas Silver, MileagePlus Silver
Posts: 418
Smile

Originally Posted by PVDtoDEL
Per a gate agent and my boarding passes, UA has downgraded *G members to group 2 boarding. Up until this week (including the outbound of my current trip), I had always gotten group 1. Another "friendly" change from UA 👎🏽
Welcome to my group. Maybe I'll see you in line someday
Heffeh41 is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:24 am
  #4581  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,524
I've been *G with A3, and I've ALWAYS had group 1.
BThumme is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:26 am
  #4582  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1k, SPG Plat 100
Posts: 619
Originally Posted by BThumme
I've been *G with A3, and I've ALWAYS had group 1.
In that case, they've fixed a glitch.
Boo_Radley is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 10:27 am
  #4583  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
Originally Posted by BThumme
I've been *G with A3, and I've ALWAYS had group 1.
Policy has always been group 2, but apparently there was an IT bug that allowed group 1, which now is reported to be fixed.

Last edited by JBord; Jul 30, 2015 at 10:28 am Reason: Edit to reflect revised quoted post
JBord is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 11:17 am
  #4584  
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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Posts: 56,291
Originally Posted by JBord
Policy has always been group 2, but apparently there was an IT bug that allowed group 1, which now is reported to be fixed.
Good news. Now they just need to kick the credit card holders down a group.
Kacee is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 11:27 am
  #4585  
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Join Date: Oct 2003
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AC gives *G boarding group 2. Maybe an alignment. Or maybe what UA should have done from the get-go. Of course I think Plat should also be BG 2 but I know that won't be a popular idea among them

-RM
RobOnLI is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 11:34 am
  #4586  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Former 1k, Lifetime UA Gold, Starwood Gold; Avis Preferred; Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,728
Originally Posted by Boo_Radley
In that case, they've fixed a glitch.
Amen. Group 1 has been half to 1/4 of the plane lately.
DCEsquire is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 11:40 am
  #4587  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA/ORD/ADB
Programs: TK ELPL (*G), AS 100K (OWE), BA Gold (OWE), Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 7,763
I flew 120k miles with *A last year, just like the 1Ks. I guess it makes sense if UA Golds are group 2, but it just highlights how *A needs a third alliance tier
PVDtoDEL is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 11:44 am
  #4588  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,524
Originally Posted by PVDtoDEL
I flew 120k miles with *A last year, just like the 1Ks. I guess it makes sense if UA Golds are group 2, but it just highlights how *A needs a third alliance tier
Well where is a distinction going to get made? You would have to add perks for new top tier (unlikely any other perks besides maybe G1 boarding) or devalue Gold and Silver even more into a lower tier.

Group 1 for top tier?
Group 2 for middle and lower?
Group 3 all else?
BThumme is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 11:48 am
  #4589  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
Originally Posted by Kacee
Good news. Now they just need to kick the credit card holders down a group.
I agree, on principle alone. In practice, it hasn't bothered me much. When I went from 1k to Gold on 2/1, my biggest worry was getting my bag in a bin. Even boarding at the end of some LONG group 2 lines, I haven't had a problem putting it within a row of my seat so far (fingers crossed, I'm sure others have had issues).

I do, however, hate waiting in lines .
JBord is offline  
Old Jul 30, 2015, 11:56 am
  #4590  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Having flown Alitalia recently on LAX-FCO-BCN-FCO-LAX, I found their boarding system to be relatively easy to work with:

#1: SkyTeam Elite+, Business Class
#2: SkyTeam Elite, Premium Economy
#3: All Other Passengers (by row numbers)

Which reminds me, so many other carriers do not use "zone boarding" and seem to have little hassle. Although, with AZ, their carry-on baggage limit is 8kg.
fgirard is offline  

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