Originally Posted by flyingnosh

I'm simply making the point that presenting your boarding pass upside down makes it harder for the GA to enforce the rules. I like the old process. I like the new process. I simply believe that it's mostly in the hands of the GA to deliver a pleasant boarding experience.

Originally Posted by flyingnosh

I'm simply making the point that presenting your boarding pass upside down makes it harder for the GA to enforce the rules. I like the old process. I like the new process. I simply believe that it's mostly in the hands of the GA to deliver a pleasant boarding experience.

Originally Posted by airarchtx

This new boarding process sucks!!! Was just on a flight from PHL-IAH in Paid F. Arrived at the gate 5 minutes before boarding and they had already started boarding Group 1. By the time I had gotten on the plane all of the overhead bins in F were full as well as every bind back to row 21. I gate checked my bag instead of playing salmon at the end of my flight. there were 3 other PAX in F that did the exact same thing. Another PAX in F decided to put his bag in row 22. he waited in an F seat until the plane cleared to get his bag. PATHETIC on all accounts.

There is no longer any benefit to being a 1K member. It is a travesty that you have to be a GS in order to get any kind of special treatment. I guess 100K+ miles doesn't mean anything to $misek. Looks like I am going to take a status match with AA. Speaking with my $$$.

Originally Posted by IFlyHarder

So you are saying you, as an F passenger, boarded with group 1 and all of the bins back to row 21 were full?
I assume you did board with group 1 since you said they were boarding that group when you arrived at the gate, yes?
If this is true, that is terrible. Not sure it can be blamed on the new boarding process. Honestly, your claim is rather hard to believe.

Originally Posted by mgs 1k

United 944 ORD - FRA gata 10 on Act. 10th

No call for Global Services

Agented called Group 1 and 2 at the same time, instead of 1 and later group 2.

This is really a chaos.

Originally Posted by edcho

If true, that means I now have to arrive at the gate an extra few minutes before scheduled boarding adding a little bit more stress to already a stressful situation. I can't wait until I fly next week.

Originally Posted by rankourabu

The "experienced" traveller, especially one with holier than thou "elite" attitude is the worst offender, bringing tons of crap on board.

Originally Posted by smfnrt

Wow that was quite a bit to read...
And here's more to read!

I personally like the idea of having less groups for boarding and the priority "anytime/bypass" lane come back for GS/1K/Premium pax.

It seems like the complains I've read are about overhead bin space and crowded boarding for group 2 (UA Gold / *G). Also some 747/777 issue.

I think the 747/777 boarding issue is more like the airport boarding area isn't big enough for the amount of pax. At SFO/LAX there are two lanes, one for GS/1K/Premium cabines and also the plane is wide body with two asiles, and bins are bigger / easier to fit, thus able to accomidate more pax boarding at once.

Let me give a scenario where I am the airport past TSA at exactly T-100.
I wil spend typically my time in the following 5 areas.
1) Airport Lounge - 60 mins (60%)
2) Airport shopping/dining - 10 mins (10%)
3) Gate Area/Boarding 7 mins (7%)
4) Jetway 3 mins (3%)
5) On the plane before take off 20 min (20%)
Everyone spends their time differently, but guess what? No elites can snap their finger and make time go by faster. I know many of us spend bulk of our time in the gate/boarding/jetway/plane dictated by overhead bin space..
To me I would prefer to board last (usually no carry on), I don't particularly enjoy boarding first and waiting for the next person with a big back pack on the back to bonk me in the noggin'

So that leads me to some ideas that may remedy the process (in a perfect world anyway)

Idea Number 1 - Back to front
Pros: current boarding process might still work well
Cons: you'd need two jetways

What I mean by this is instead of boarding the plane using the front doors, use the back door to board.
This way, the (now current) boarding procedure wouldn't have to be altered too much.
The overhead bins will be filled front to back, you don't have to worry about people in row 20 putting their bags in the bulk head row as they're boarding.
First class passengers who enjoys their PDB can really enjoy their PDB without worry about those people with a backpack hitting them in the head or those weird stares.
Finally, deplaning they wil deplane from the front doors, thus First Class / Elites still get to deplane first.

Idea Number 2 - Board elites LAST
Pros: Elites/Frequent flier can spend longer in lounges instead of at the gate, preserve overhead bins for elites.
Cons: Need staff to regulate the overhead bins

First, reserve the first class bins, and the economy plus section bins. FAs will need to enforce this. (Close it until the elite groups are called)
Board non-elites from the back rows first, so they can go to the back and get settle in and wait another 30 minutes tilll everyone else is boarded.
The elites, will board backwards, Silver first, then Gold, then 1K, then First class. This ensures elites know that all they need to do is show up say at T-15 for first class pax, T-20 for 1K members, T-25 for Gold, etc etc. No need to rush to the gate at T-45 and fight with crowds.
They can spend more time in lounge or shopping or eating or drinking.
*I might get flamed for this...but..* I think there is a hidden benefit to this. UA will no longer need to offer PDB, less to coordinate, less weight essentially. Perhaps they can use the savings to make the lounge selections better.

Idea number 3 - UA + WN
Pros: Addresses the Gold status members priority
Cons: UA will need more signs and modify the policy a bit, does not really address the overhead bin issue.

No, I don't mean UA to go and merge with WN, but rather for group 2, adpot WN does with the group sequence.
UA already knows how to rank elites (as by the upgrade list)
Have UA Gold boarding pass say Group 2xx where xx denotes the boarding position.
So if you're a UA Gold and you're the first one to check in you will be 201, a *Gold who checked in a second later will be 202, a *Silver might be 285 and so fourth.

Your thoughts?

Originally Posted by Chevelter

It may not be practical for United to know ahead of time which persons will want or need early boarding at the gate (other than GS), or which military person will be flying in uniform that day. I suppose the check-in agent could reprint such folks boarding passes to say group 1, but that may be a bothersome step they would rather do without.

Plus, there is the pleasure of status when you see that your boarding pass says group 1. i.e., 1K would notice if their bp said group 2.

I'm just guessing here.

Originally Posted by dgcpaphd

Watch one of Smisek's frequent news interviews. He has repeatedly made it clear that loyalty is not a major part of his business model for UA. Your loyalty for UA in the past is gone and the money you spent with UA is also gone, along with many of the promised lifetime benefits.

Don't forget what UA's CFO Rainey told an investment group last year concerning elites - we are "over entitled." This type of thinking confirms the new UA management's disdain for elites who are foolish enough to believe that lifetime promises made in the past are binding on the new UA.

This new boarding procedure is just another poor decision (in a series of poor decisions) that is aimed to teach "over entitled" elites that their loyalty has no value to the new UA.
-

Originally Posted by IFlyHarder

So you are saying you, as an F passenger, boarded with group 1 and all of the bins back to row 21 were full?
I assume you did board with group 1 since you said they were boarding that group when you arrived at the gate, yes?
If this is true, that is terrible. Not sure it can be blamed on the new boarding process. Honestly, your claim is rather hard to believe.

Originally Posted by airarchtx

Am I over-entitled if I am in PAID F? That was my issue. If it is about the money then why isn't $misek making it a benefit for those who had/did shell out $1,000+ for a flight!?!?!? In my opinion, the boarding process should be:

Group 1: GS, F Cabin, Military & disabilities
group 2: 1K & Plat
group 3: Gold & Silver
Group 4: premier access & card holders
Group 5: general boarding

Originally Posted by fivevsone

GA kept line clear. Called GSs then waited. Called Group 1 And we queued up. a Group 4 pass ahead of me was denied boarding and when he protested and was slow to move the GA told him to move away with a fierce tone of no nonsense.

Watching the delay for group 2 boarding I seems like they are waiting for the jet way to clear before calling group 2.

With 24 F seats and 62 additioal premiers on list I am surprised how smoothly it's running.

Originally Posted by airarchtx

Yes, that is correct. I arrived at the gate while they were boarding group 1. It was a huge scum just to get into the boarding lane. This new process is a joke.

Originally Posted by IFlyHarder

I guess I have been lucky. In my 35+ years of flying, often hub-to-hub on UA, I have never seen anything coming even close to such a thing.

Originally Posted by airarchtx

Am I over-entitled if I am in PAID F? That was my issue. If it is about the money then why isn't $misek making it a benefit for those who had/did shell out $1,000+ for a flight!?!?!? In my opinion, the boarding process should be:

Group 1: GS, F Cabin, Military & disabilities
group 2: 1K & Plat
group 3: Gold & Silver
Group 4: premier access & card holders
Group 5: general boarding

Originally Posted by IFlyHarder

I'm just curious. Since Group 1 now includes premium cabin, GS, 1K, and Platinum, it seems to only differ from the old Group 1 in that Platinums were added to the mix.
Is your contention that the new system is flawed because there are so many Platinums in the system that Group 1 will be adversely affected by facing a plane where possibly 1/2 of the bins on the entire airplane may be occupied before Group 2 is called?

Originally Posted by exerda

I've had it happen quite a few times, typically on hub-to-hub routes on 767s which have crappy bin space to begin with. I hang back to not be a gate louse and let GS/military on board, and then when they call "group 1" it's a scrum, and by the time I get on board (sometimes the GA having called group 2 already--before group 1 has finished boarding), the bins are just gone anywhere remotely near my seats, be they in F or in E+.I can only think of a few times I've had it happen on other a/c (752 at least twice where the F bins were already gone, a couple of PMCO 737s where pax were told by FAs to "put bags in the first open bins" from the outset).



I would personally prefer more separation in groups, but have no problem at all with F (paid, upgrade, or otherwise) boarding with GS.

Originally Posted by UA-NYC

It's doomed to fail because you have 1/3 of 1/2 of the plane now entitled to board through the "special lane" - that's the crux of the issue

The 5 lane approach will help, but it's been observed there are no shortage of gates where the lack of space may preclude doing it

Originally Posted by njcommodore

Did you (or the other golds whining about boarding and having to gate check bags) read any of the other 60 pages of this thread? You will still be able to put your bags in the overhead, likely near your seat. UA Insider reported that the number of credit card holders with no elite status is marginal.