iluv2fly

As 2012 is over and the existing thread is quite long, let's continue this topic in a new thread.

Here is a link to the 2012 thread for reference:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ad-merged.html

iluv2fly
Moderator, UA

edcho

Update:

--

Still officially the same as of September 1, 2012.



Hopefully the newer boarding process is much better and gets rolled out quickly (haven't seen it in action yet).

jackal

Thanks for reminding me that exists. I might print a copy of that, and when challenged by an Explorer card holder that I should board after him, I'll whip it out.

3card

As of today, the official policy is still not being followed in my experience today. GA called group 2 & 3 together after not allowing the 1's enough time to board.

ny747

It would be helpful if the gate agents waited for at least 10 seconds between announcing Pre-boarding and then Group 1. In LAX last saturday, the agent barely paused between the two groups making the priority boarding option for GS irrelevant.

SFOFastAir

Does anyone have any comments on the boarding set up being tested at the hubs? (e.g. SFO gates 80 and 73)

MDtR-Chicago

Got to try out the new system of lines at SFO last month. It was pretty dysfunctional.

I walked up right as Group 2 was called. Except, since there is a single group 2-4 lane, when the GA called Group 2 no one knew what to do. Then it turned into a Southwest-esque scene of people in the line comparing boarding passes trying to figure out who should go first.

In the end, a BIS Gold lines up the same as a no-fee-first-year credit card holder. Never in my life have I felt so over-entitled. Sure glad UA is putting me in my place.

EDIT: Or apparently a BIS Platinum, too. Incredible.

Critic

I haven't had the [mis]fortune of seeing the revised process in action, but the issue of BG 2-3-4 sharing one line while groups 5, 6 and 7 are all broken out into their own lines does baffle me. Presumably the theory is that, on widebody aircraft, most of the cabin will consist of non-status passengers, but as MDtR-Chicago points out above, that doesn't always bear out in practice. If the gate agents had the authority to modify the setup to suit the elite load (breaking BG 2-3-4 into their own lines and recombining BG 5-6-7 into a 'general boarding' line), the system could work, but that leads to the same sort of inconsistency we're seeing now.

I've said before, and I'll say again, that the keys to getting any boarding process to work are information and enforcement. The passengers waiting in the gate area should be getting constant updates and instruction (either by live GAs or recordings), and the GA at the podium scanning BPs needs to enforce the boarding order.

I'll even go one further - if someone tries to jump the line and board with an earlier group (assuming they're not accompanying a passenger in a higher BG, that is), they get sent to the back of boarding group 7; a second attempt to jump the line earns an IDB (akin to a drunk passenger being refused boarding). It'll never happen, of course, but...

Red_Rob

Boarded with the new lanes and there was no way GS could get to the front through packed tiny lanes when called.

TomA

I'd love to see the boarding group printed as a giant grey number--like a watermark--on the BP.

princessyoga

Are they not pre- boarding families with infants and small children anymore? I missed the last half of 2012 flying due to pregnancy.

TomA

Thankfully no. Come to think of it, I haven't seen any airline doing this lately.

It was massively abused anyway. I often saw "small" 12+ year olds pre-boarding.

EnvoyBoy

USAirways does and it's misused all the time. Not only older "children" but families with six adults who need to help them board and settle in.

princessyoga

I find it disappointing as frequent traveller with a newborn and another small child. I typically fly long haul on my own with my little girl. The baby has yet to travel. I am also a frequent business traveller so understand that perspective as well. The rule should be enforced one or two adults with very small children.

I agree the abuse of the previous system is terrible. You dont need loads of people to get a baby sorted and older children dont need extra time. Those inconsiderate people ruin it for those that need an extra few mins to get babies and young children in and strapped and their supplies at the ready so you dont have to disturb people getting up and down or travelling to the back of the plane carrying a baby to get them a necessary item during the flight because you are in the bulkhead with a bassinet and people stored their items in the overhead above you before taking their seats in the back of the plane. That is particularly challenging when trying to disembark even though you are near the front you have wait until everyone is off before you can go back to get this.i have experienced this on my daughter's first 2 trips. It is important Particularly as you can get the kids sorted before they are run down with people carrying oversized carry ons forcing their way down the aisle to get an overhead bin.i recognise this may unpopular opinion on here and so be it. If that is new rule so be it. I will deal with it.

I know my European airline I use for work still does it for under 6's.

edcho

This was a relatively recent change actually. The press made a huge deal about it.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/23/travel...ing/index.html