Originally Posted by
WineCountryUA
United.com states
What do you think is missing?
The 5-day list clearing continues until close to flight time (rough observation supports until 3 maybe 2 hours prior to departure -- so folks on the gate list will appear to clear out of order). So while you can see the gate list, the other list is still active. The gate list should just be used in the last half hour or so.
As has been explained to me by people-who-should-know, what you're supposed to see online IS the gate list. Basically, I've been told to ignore it before arriving at the airport because (as I can confirm from first-hand experience) that's NOT the 5-day-list. But the gate list is clearly not compiled now according to what's stated on the website: it is not based on "premier class." Passengers in lower premier classes can definitely trump passengers in higher premier classes, based on their fare bucket or, perhaps, whether they were using an upgrade instrument.