LordHamster

This whole thing would be a non-issue if United were a bit more honest about the boarding order and acknowledge that they really have 10 boarding groups, GS being Group 5 (in reality). So while the GS literature says they'll be the first to board... in reality they are often boarded after 20+ people (I've seen it often)

The REALITY of UA Boarding:

"Pre-Boarding"
Group 1. Unaccompanied Minors
Group 2. Customers with Disabilities & Entourage...
Group 2.5 Customers with Pretend Disabilities who are also occupying Exit row seats.
Group 2.6 The "Emotional Support Animals" of 2.5
Group 3. Uniformed Military Personnel (I can count on one hand the number of times I've ever seen anyone in this group ever)
Group 4. Families with Children Age Two and Under + Entourage...
Group 4.5 Families with Children WAY over two + Entourage...
Group 5. Global Services
Group 5.5 Global Entry Card holders


"Premier" Access Boarding
Group 6: Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, Business/Polaris Business, and First/Polaris First.
Group 7: Premier Gold, Star Gold, Premier Silver, Star Silver, MileagePlus Presidential Plus, Club, Explorer and Awards, purchased Premier Access


General boarding (Window Seats, then Middle Seats, then Aisle)
Group 8 - Window Seats
Group 9 - Middle Seats (Aisle Seats on UA Express)
Group 10 - Aisle Seats

manstein58

That is very funny and more so for being true. Entourage is the right term.

WineCountryUA

Question -- do these "pre-boarding" exceptions lead to "delaying" boarding of the rest of the plane by (say) 2 minutes for more than 20% (80/20 rule) of the time?

While it may be annoying not to be first on the plane, and annoying some people take advantage of these exceptions, does it lead to meaningful delays in boarding?

LordHamster

I couldn't tell you that as my personal experience doesn't allow me enough visibility. I CAN tell you that the lack of standardization and the conflict with the numbered groups adds to significant amounts of confusion at boarding time.

warrenw

At many gates there is no space for pre-boarders to stand, such as families with infants or disabled, etc. and as a result when they're called I've had a few instances where they amble up to the podium and try to get past the already crowded boarding area to get to the ramp.

But in short to answer your question, in my experience it doesn't add that much time at all, no.

gold23

In my experience, generally not. I would say it delays boarding by several minutes- at most- on average. Usually the legitimate pre-boarders are caught off guard by the announcement and end up scrambling to get to the front of the line (families with legit young children, older people not in wheelchair but difficulty walking, etc). The "fake" pre-boarders are primed and ready, laugh out loud.

For me, it's not the timing at all. It is the fact that these people are taking overhead space away from others who have either paid or earned the right to be ahead of them in line.

meducate

I don't think pre-boarding delays boarding when the GA does it correctly. When they get ready, let pre-boarders know that they will start pre-boarding shortly and to be ready, and to not wait when pre-boarders who have been given ample warning haven'g made their way down, then regular boarding should begin.

And by definition "pre"- boarding should start before the regular boarding time. Then regular boarding can begin at the exact boarding time listed on the boarding pass and screen

94010flyer

I used to travel with my mother who had a stroke that caused her to lose use of her left hand and left leg. While she could walk very slowly with a cane, it was much faster to move her around in an airport or out of the house or hotel in a wheelchair, so we traveled with a folding wheelchair.

I can't speak about whole coterie of six people pre-boarding with a wheelchair passenger, but I can tell you that it takes more than one person to get a wheelchair person on board efficiently. One person has to push the wheelchair, and one has to schlep the boarding passes, bags, cane, and carryons for the wheelchair person and the pusher. It also takes a couple people to help lift the wheelchair person get out of the chair and into the seat. So I don't get upset when I see two or three people accompanying a person with physical limitations boarding.

I've not seen six, but if they are all sitting together, I think they may as well all board together so they can get situated, especially if the handicapped person is on the aisle, and since the other people flying in the group probably have the seats in the window and/or middle seats, as you want to sit the handicapped person on the aisle for ease of ingress and egress. Once you get a wheelchair person in her seat, you don't want to have her get up to let other people get into the row.

I was always grateful for the early pre-board and the ability to have myself and other people traveling with me and my mother board with us.

I will note that when it came time to deplane, we all sat in our seats and let the entire planeload of people get off so as not to delay people deplaning.

It annoys me to this day when I see the people who needed extra time to preboard, get up and deplane and hold up everyone due to their physical limitations. Pre-boarders should deplane last when the aisle and jetways are clear.

gold23

In gate areas where there is space (such as just about anywhere in C concourse in EWR, for example), I'd love for there to be a separate pre-board lane. I do think it would curtail some of the freeloaders who "cheat" the process, since they'd be exposed to a little more scrutiny.

I have no issue with wheelchairs, and agree that we shouldn't judge who does or does not need one based on how they move inside the cabin. The jetway is an unstable walkway, and I have had friends and famiy members utilize a wheelchair in that situation and often never in any other. Additionally, if you're going through THAT much trouble to game the system in the event you legitimately do not need one....well, shame on you and congrats for beating it.

DELee

app boarding pass for UA783 LAX-IAD showed 4:10 pm start to board and 4:30 pm as boarding end for a 4:45 pm departure. Any one else seeing boarding times of this size/duration?

David

tcp1

Today, DEN-SAN UA2410.. GA announces preboarding for "all families with children". Period. No age limitation.

On rushed half the plane, and someone in G1 said "I thought it was children two and under?" GA said "We pre-board all parents with children." Person replied "I thought it was just young children".. GA replies "Nope, all families."

Really now? This new public-facing "friendly" UA, or a rogue pro-family gate agent??

halls120

This is wrong on so many levels.....

IAH-OIL-TRASH

If one was to take the GA literally, a 20-year old child of 40-ish parents could pre-board.

Plane-is-home

Report the GA. Only way to stop the nonsense

DELee

Following up, we actually did complete boarding the 739 in 20 minutes - only then to be held past our scheduled 4:45 PM departure an additional 10 minutes because a GS and his wife were late in making their connection to our flight - which explained why a GS agent visited our plane, looked around, greeted the one GS already on board, and then exited - only to bring the late connecting GS+1 pair.

I guess it is good to be GS.

David