Still possible but sometimes very difficult to find an agent that is aware/willing to do it. Probably easier to find someone in an ex-CO hub than ex-UA.

I went to the service desk at the Denver UC a few months back and tried to add my buddy to the gate list. The gentleman I spoke with was adamant it was not allowed and had never been allowed.

When I politely told him it was a carryover from the CO days and I had done it numerous times post merger and was always under the impression is was well
within the rules, he claimed to be a “regional trainer” and that he would know what’s allowed and what isn’t.

When I realized I wasn’t going to get anywhere with this guy I walked over to the bar and figured I would just try at the gate. Shortly after, a second agent who overheard the conversation walked up to us and apologized. Said his co worker was a clown and not to listen to anything he said. He asked for our boarding passes and when he came back a minute later, my buddy was on the UG list!

When we we were leaving the club, I made sure to thank him in front of the clown I spoke with the first time and said “I’m sure glad someone knows the rules around here!”