Has anyone had experience travelling on UA out of ORD with CO Silver? Will they let you use the premier lines for check in or security (might get through security since CO has flights there too)? Have you had to fight for free bag checking for you or your companions? Normally I dont care, but this time I have to take the wife, the 2 year old, and the 9 month old.

I've been flying EWR-ORD on UA for over a month as a Gold

CO Silver = Star Alliance Silver.

As a *A Silver, you will be able to use the premium check-in line and premium security lines. For boarding, you will not be able to use the Red Carpet (nor will any CO Silver, Gold, or Plat). You will be able to board via the regular line before UA's standard boarding groups.

Based on the GA, *A Gold may be boarded 1st, or *A Gold and Silver will be invited to board at the same time.

Hope this helps.

I've never heard UA single out *Silver for boarding. As CO Silver, you will go into Boarding Group 1 on UA, and this group gets called for boarding after Premier Exec / *Gold.

To be honest I haven't either. Usually it has been *A everything plus 1K at the same time. When I boarded yesterday at EWR for a 6am flight, however, they specifically called *A Gold by itself. I was on the jetway before the next group was called.

I assume this was because the flight was heavy with status'd fliers.

Thanks for all the answers...i think boarding is the only part I dont have to worry about. 2 kids with 1 in a car seat should easily get me to the front of the line anyway (but status does make it look good). My biggest worry is the hassle of checking in since we have to check...no way am I giving them a penny for a bag.

It's even different to that usually (every UA flight I've taken):

1. F, 1K, Global Services - through red carpet line
(red carpet line roped off then)
2. Premier Executive and *Gold - through regular line
3. Boarding Group 1 (includes UA Premier, all *Silvers)
4. Group 2, 3, 4, etc

I've never seen them deviate from this.

Only if UA is more child-friendly than CO. I frankly have not been paying attention on my UA trips. Whenever on CO elites always board before those with children or those needed assistance


You get up to 2 bags as a *Silver

I am sleep deprived this week..thank you 6am flight.

Yes, where I said 1k I meant Premier. I am 99% certain that most of my flights have had *G and *S called at the same time.

Note that to avoid the hell that is flying from Chicago to the east coast past 4pm, most of my ORD-EWR trips have been 2pm departures; might make a difference.

I wouldn't count on UA doing any pre-boarding for families. I can't remember the last time I've seen them do this, and I think in the past they've only done it in places like Orlando.

As a * Silver, you will very likely board with everyone who is in Boarding Group 1.

Why is it that families with kids always find the need to pre-board, but seem to have no problem getting off when it comes their turn, instead of waiting until everyone else has gotten off?It should be automatic- if you pre-board, you get off last.

The time of the flight doesn't make a difference. I fly this route all the time, and at all times of the day. They never call *S at the same time as *Gold. This is "enforced" through the boarding pass layout too - *Golds don't get put in any Group number, but instead are marked STAR GOLD. *Silvers are marked with Boarding Group 1, and they board in that group. The sequence of boarding has always been exactly as I described above, on ORD-EWR as well as any other route with UA.

UA's standard practice doesn't allow for preboarding of families with small children. There are always exceptions, but I wouldn't count on it.

IME on UA is that about half of the GA's will board *G separately and the other half will announce *G and Seating Area 1 at the same time. I don't transit ORD that often so maybe there are more strict there.

I can only think of 1 good reason - car seat. Have you ever tried to carry a forward facing toddler car seat down a small aircraft WITHOUT bumping every single aisle person? If it was just me, my wife, and my 9 month old on her lap then you are right, boarding in group 1 is perfectly fine (thanks *S). As someone who, before last year, put in between 75k and 100k BIS miles in aisle seats, I actually would not mind if that big -arse seat was hauled past my comfy F aisle seat before I sat in it. Its bad enough when the big bags would hit me, but I dont want a hard sided car seat whacking me over the head.

And for the record - NO, I am not an entitled feeling parent flying around...Im an ELITE entitled feeling parent flying around (hahaha).

UA always boards *A and 1K at different times.

They go like this:

Global Services/First Class
1K/Business Class* *(if flying on a three-cabin aircraft)

Through the regular lane:

Premier Executive (1P)
*Alliance Gold

Boarding Group 1 includes:
Premier (2P)
Premier Associate (3P)
*Alliance Silver

Boarding Group 2, 3, 4

I'm holding my son's BP for a flight tomorrow, and he's *S (Thanks BMI) and in group 2, but he's got non-status flyers sharing the PNR.

And only he got free bags.