zebranz

UA Insider:
UA needs to figure out what they want to do about this and other things and how to treat certain customers. Then formulate a policy to accomplish this.
Trying to "tweak" a broken system has too many unintended consequences.

Lurker1999

Baggage fees are the root cause of the boarding scrum. Mishandled baggage contributes to the problem as well. More checked bags would result in fewer bags in the overhead and less need to get on the plane first to fight for limited overhead space. Rearranging the boarding groups just makes some part of the group madder but doesn't solve the underlying problem.

It would be nice if we could actually see some return on those incredibly lucrative baggage fees that UA and other carriers are collecting beyond the pittance a free drink or snack costs them. Perhaps that would stem some of the hatred.

weero

This is why this shouldn't exist. 7 is nothing on Asia. In HKG the security regularly comes to a screeching halt when a family the size of a high school excursion follow great-great-granddaddy through the priority security.

One family member/companion per impaired passenger, no priority for small kids ... everything was fine with the old process and now it sucks.
The slap in the face of the elites is the sole purpose of this exercise. Anything short of sending letters along with the MP cards saying "we don't need you, you are mere dead weight", could not have been as clear as this message.

EWRFlyerAL

Anyone arguing that they should be given any special privileges because they decided to reproduce is WRONG. Preboarding and the group system in place currently are based on legitimate need and loyalty for achieving criteria that UA has set.

Children are not a disability (unless the child is disabled and then they should preboard). It is a choice (in most cases) to have a child and inconveniencing others as a result is not fair.

I can't tell you the number of times that I've had to listen to a child screaming, see them running around, making a mess or just wreaking havoc in the airport, UA Club, or on the plane. In most of these cases the parents just sit back and let the child blast a TV show from his/her iPad while throwing Cheerios everywhere.

UA should not further reduce benefits for its most loyal elites and for those buying and/or seated in F. Here is a perfect example from a travel blogger asking if the policy can be amended to age 3, 4, or 5: http://michaelwtravels.boardingarea....flying-united/

I guarantee that we'll see tons of examples of preboarding being abused after February 15th. As it is now, I see plenty of GAs allowing people from other groups to board with Group 1 because they play dumb or act confused and board out of turn.

NJMichigan

As a parent of a 3 year old and a 1 year old, I think this makes sense. It takes a little bit of extra time to settle your kids, which is tough when people behind you are getting aggressive in trying to get on the plane and claim the last spot in the bin.

For what it's worth, my wife and I are both Global Services.

JVPhoto

I'm 32 years old and gave United $25,000 last year. Why can't I have a few extra seconds to get situated instead of plopping down in the seat with my jacket on and backpack in my lap so I can quickly clear the aisle and then wait for an open spot to jump up and put it in the OH or wait for the FA take my coat?
If you're a family of 3 and have all your seats in a row there's no need for you to be in the aisle. You have a whole row just get the kid in there and move yourself out of the aisle as well.
We're boarding an airplane...not carrying a kid while walking 4 mastiffs and bringing back the office's coffee.

Baze

It was mentioned before upthread. But there is no "pre-boarding" on UA. It is all just a shuffling of the order you board. There is no extra allocated time for pre-boards. Unless they truly allow the pre-boards on then WAIT an appropriate amount of time before boarding the next group, this exercise is pointless. Pre-boarding is to allow extra time for those that need it to get settled. Having the next group right on their tails does not solve the problem. Pre-boards are not going to take "all" the overhead space. But if you happen to be in the same row you may not get your bag right over you. But it is the time factor. No real extra time and this will not work. And I don't see UA building extra time into the boarding schedule anytime soon to actually accommodate this.

So real actual extra time and real enforcement by GA's is the only way this will actually work to speed up the rest of the boarding process. And clear guidelines as to how many may accompany the ones needing extra time is another huge factor. As others have seen, I have also seen, the grandma gets rolled on in a wheel chair and the horde of 8 family members goes with her. The miracle of miracles at the destination grandma can walk just fine and refuses the wheelchair waiting for her.

kirkwoodj

Even WN boards small kids after first boarding group!

tcp1

I know it's not a popular opinion, but I agree wholeheartedly. This policy will also be absolutely abused and not enforced properly, just like every UA policy. Large families won't be broken up and will board together, people will fudge on ages and GAs won't enforce it. Families will line up at the gate in front of the boarding lanes with strollers and kids and their whole extended family. I can't see it not being a nightmare, especially when summer travel comes around.

I don't know how many times I've seen adult parents justify bad behavior (on the part of their kids or themselves) on how "hard it is" to be a parent and that they've been "dealing with it all day" so I should put up with a few minutes of inconvenience.

No. These are not my children. You are not my wife, sister, or even friend. Your kids aren't a gift to the world. It seems many parents feel they are doing the world a favor by having kids and thus everyone else should give them a break.

How about giving me a break because I *don't* bring kids on the plane and clog up the boarding process???

I'm a leisure 1K as well, just like someone else here. Married with no kids; I'm 1K she's a Silver and we try to travel as inconspicuously and efficiently as possible. This means we pay for things like Clear, precheck, club access - because for us the number one benefit of an airline like United is the ability to choose to have a more efficient travel experience, albeit at a cost. I get zero breaks other than the ones I pay for.

How about this - let families board early if they buy FamilyAccess or some other add-on, just like we've always been charged when we were GMs.

It's enough of a problem when people develop sudden limps at disability boarding times, or the guy in the camo jacket boards with military. I've gone on with group 1 with a third of the plane boarded.

This is just yet another dilution of frequent flier benefits to satisfy an overly vocal but hardly overly profitable demographic. It's part of the softening of United's image that they're working on for sure, but simply they're telling their best customers that they're not as welcome anymore.

Visconti

All things being equal, I have no issues with the change, *IF* UA implements the policy as promised. Of course, I have ZERO confidence that they will and fully expect GAs offering exceptions to anyone and everyone screaming loud enough.

Implementation will be inefficient and mass confusion will ensue. The moment there's an announcement, a mad dash with kids of all ages will rush for boarding. People will ignore the policy, either willingly or unwittingly, and each will argue for pre-boarding for the entire family.

I can't envision any F/Elites putting up with this chaos.

sapguy

Agree that a needed tweak to this policy is to have small kids UNDER 2 board with their family after Group 1.

If a particular station has a large Group 1, then so be it!

No policy by any company is ever perfect out of the gate! It would appear that the 'new United' under Oscar's leadership is listening attentively to its customers, so it's up to us to positively make suggestions for improvements by completing those email surveys and by clearly stating why certain things or policies did not meet our expectations as an elite member of MP.

Ranting in this board will not get us anywhere.

JVPhoto

Now and then that also happens as well when we choose to fly United.

Visconti

Yeah, right! Even the anti-elite and anti-legacy Airline earmarks family boarding after Group A.

9elf S

I think I can speak with some expertise on this subject after having flown literally hundreds of flights with my now 7 year-old daughter (who hit 1K at 2 years old) and my spouse having done so even more on her own. Parents with an under 2 year old don't need extra time to board. It's not that hard. You do have to be organized and make some effort. But I view that as the parents' responsibility, not that of the other passengers.

EWRFlyerAL

Thank you. I'm not trying to be a DYKWIA with this policy. I just think that if I'm buying F tickets that UA should give me the ability to board and get settled. This way I don't have to stand behind the parade of "children under 2" who are boarding with their SAT prep books as I'm sure that this policy will be thoroughly abused. I board quickly and get settled just as quickly. If UA had FAs keep the 1st class bins closed and made sure that F passengers could get bags on then I would take less issue with this as well.

Case in point: I watched a woman and her about 10-year-old son board on Sunday with a huge bag, backpack, purse, and two shopping bags. She threw all of these except her purse (including her suitcase, which had to go in sideways) in the bin above 2EF. She then folded her coat and put it in there as well. After she closed the bin and started heading to economy the passenger in 2E who was behind her asked her where she was sitting. She answered "24B." At that point F was full and the guy got pissed. Luckily the FA was proactive and told her that she had to move her things. She got huffy and told the FA that it was easier for her son and her to carry their things off from there. The FA persisted and she moved her stuff.