Originally Posted by MCOGUY

Why is paid First Class effectively Zone 5 on United? I'm Exec Platinum on AA, equivalent to 1K on United. Years ago I was 1K on United until they went into bankruptcy and as service went to hell I switched to American. Flash forward, company policy wants us to fly United, Delta, or Southwest, and with no status flying United, I book the coach fare, and then upgrade on my own dime to a paid First Class fare.

My gripe is the boarding order. Nothing against 1K's, but why should a paid First Class fare have lower priority than a 1K, who may or may not be in First Class, and might have a lower fare basis than the paid First Class passenger? I don't have a problem with the CK pre-boarding, but I do with the 1K's (as I'm the equivalent on AA), if you're already in First, no need for a separate boarding order, and if you are a 1K and not in First, then wait and board in the zone immediately after First Class, like AA does.

Living in Orlando, I'm especially irritate about boarding families and kids first - in MCO it's all families and kids! My gripe - First Class zone 1 means nothing! It's actually zone 5 after you board the pre-boards, military, CK, 1K, families etc. United tries to 'simplify' the boarding with fewer zones, but this is outright boarding fraud, the way they mislead people in thinking zone 1 is first boarding. I've seen First Class bins already filled up by families, 1ks etc, that most likely don't have a paid First Class ticket, yet they boarded before the paid First Class revenue passengers. I say. Board the kids and families after First, and the non-upgraded 1ks after First Class is more reasonable and fair.