Do CO gate agents know the official boarding process?
 

I'm very confused... I normally fly UA and have found them to be very clear about the boarding process and enforce it well.

However, I had 4 CO flights this weekend and found boarding on all 4 of them to be a disaster. On all 4 flights the gate agent asked for military and pre-boarding which seemed normal and fine. But then, they announced just First Class, GS, 1K, and Platinum. They did NOT say "Elite Access" or "Premier." I waited patiently assuming that they would call Star Gold next. But as more and more people kept on boarding I started glimpsing some boarding passes and saw lots of *S and 2P's boarding. Every 30 seconds the gate agent would announce "We're only boarding First, GS, 1K, and Platinum" as if she was seeing that lower elite levels were coming through, but she didn't stop any of them. Then, all of a sudden, she starts going through the general boarding process. I was upset because I had listened diligently and waited my turn but all Elites had boarded. There were a few other confused people too and we commiserated together.

This went on to happen on my next 3 flights as well. Agent only mentioned First, 1K, GS, and Platinum. Learning my lesson, I simply boarded then and had no problem.

My questions are, is there an official CO boarding process and why is it not being enforced or communicated clearly?

I don't know what the issue is, but boarding has been going very poorly. Boarding areas are a mess around the line entrances. Little to no enforcement for people boarding at the wrong time.

I had the same experience on a Frankenflight from EWR-YUL yesterday. EUA doesn't seem to run for these flights -- I asked customer service about the upgrade list 3 hours before the flight and all they could tell me is "You're on the standby list." So I showed up with my Y BP at T minus 50 minutes and waited for them to either page me for a upgrade or board Golds.

Eventually, the GA calls First, GS, 1K, and PPlat. About 12 people go up, and since the E-170 only has 6 F seats (and all of those folks are either in F or ahead of me on the list), I figure I'm out of the upgrades. And then, to my surprise, the GA calls rows 3-8 -- no Gold, Silver, Premier or what have you.

So I lurch into the line, scan my BP... double beep. "Your seat is 1D" and a new BP.

The really weird thing is that we left with an empty seat in F (next to me, in fact). So apparently there were only 5 elites on the flight. The woman behind me specifically said that she was only Premier, and surprised to get the upgrade.

So, not only did they never call Elite Access, but apparently most of the people who boarded at the F/GS/1K/PPlat call were in Y with no status.

In your case specifically (and not referring to the boarding problems in general), it sounds like all Elite/Premier members on the flight received upgrades to FC. Thus, there was no reason to call for general elite boarding.

I suppose that would make sense! But... in that case, why call 1K/GS/PPlat specifically? As far as I could tell, no (or almost no) elites had received F boarding passes before boarding. I noted at least 3 double beeps during the boarding process. So while we did all get upgrades, most of us didn't know it until we boarded.

I s'pose one could argue that since we were going to end up in F anyway, there was no need to pre-board elites. But (maybe this is just me, and a character flaw) I find it disconcerting when the boarding process doesn't follow the script!

I don't know what's worse, the OP's situation where the Elite Access or Star Gold was not called or my EWR-MIA-EWR flights where all Elite Access was called at once. I never really knew how many people held the OnePass Plus credit card until then! Note: I figured they were all CC holders because the upgrade list was very short.

Realistically, they arent all cardholders. They just dont care and coua does nothing to stop the stampede.

I didn't even go into the issue I had with EUA! Apparently because my first flight was on UA, I was taken off the EUA list and had to re-add my name to it at the gate!

Very frustrating

If you want to see the best example of how truly screwed up the UACO boarding process is, visit DCA. There, UA and AA flights are at adjacent gates. UA uses the post June "every elite is the same" rugby scrum, and AA maintains separation between F, exec plat, plat, priority access, and regular boarding.

I don't understand why management continues to insist on employing a broken process. Are they simply to proud to admit they were wrong?

The process is fine - and is *not* what you say above about "every elite is the same" - the issue is GAs not knowing or enforcing the process.

There are distinct groups in the UA process that separate elite levels - I've certainly heard them called on at least some of my flights.

I think a lot of it has to do with the insularity of the CO corporate culture, which was formed in a time when the airline was clearly the best in America and could do no wrong.

Many of the structures and systems put in place at that time were appropriate for a far, far smaller airlines than what UaCo is today, but with CO's former CEO running the combined airline and the sense that CO had better management and systems than UA, it's very difficult for them to retreat and to admit that CO's procedures and systems are overwhelmed.

The "every elite is the same" was traditionally the way CO boarded.

It ultimately boils down to GA laziness. They are supposed to call differentiated groups, separately, but in most of my flights this fall they just wait a few seconds before calling the next group. Add to that the fact that most of the GAs don't boot out the non-elites, and then everyone just says F it and tries to board. It's frustrating to say the least.

It was. But that's not the current process.

I agree - lack of GAs remembering / being bothered to follow the process is the real issue.

What is the official process and where is it documented?