UA Ends Preboard with children.. Delta???
May 25, 2012, 11:27 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: US
Programs: DL GE
Posts: 1,654
UA Ends Preboard with children.. Delta???
http://consumerist.com/2012/05/unite...mall-kids.html
"We figured it would be better to simplify that process and reduce the number of boarding groups," said United spokesman Charles Hobart. The airline does allow passengers with children traveling in first class or business class to board early.
Thus far, allowing families with children under 2 years old seems to be sticking.
May 25, 2012, 12:15 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta GM, Marriott Platinum, Hertz 5*
Posts: 2,530
I like the part about allowing families to board first if seated in first/business. That's a nice "f- you" to anyone who complains!
I wouldn't mind seeing Delta try this, but I would hate to see flights delayed because of a mess of stroller-toting kettles boarding in zone 4 unable to find storage for diaper bags and all their other baby crap.
I mean, giving birth to a child just for two years of priority boarding in not a great return on your investment.
I wouldn't mind seeing Delta try this, but I would hate to see flights delayed because of a mess of stroller-toting kettles boarding in zone 4 unable to find storage for diaper bags and all their other baby crap.
I mean, giving birth to a child just for two years of priority boarding in not a great return on your investment.
May 25, 2012, 12:45 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
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. I just had a $100k bill for a medical issue and put my piece (about $19k) on a UA card....I will take 2 RT J tickets for a useless Gall Bladder any day !
May 25, 2012, 1:01 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: LEX
Programs: Delta Reserve - PM
Posts: 1,143
we have a 2.5YO and she flew with us last year. we didn't use the pre-boarding because most of the time she was asleep and we didn't want to wake her up to sit on the plane for an extra 20 minutes.
May 25, 2012, 1:04 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
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I have a PPO because my EW and kids live in Boston and I live in LA. The only way for me to cover them is with a PPO (The HMO is CA based only) and it is a 80/20. It is actually GREAT insurance. Covers everything and I can pick the doctor hospital but it does cost to have that flexibility. Kind of the full Y vs T in FT terms
May 25, 2012, 1:17 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
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No it topped me off. I have never used an Arline CC until this one. I am sure this is FT blaspheme but I never had a DL Amex in all my years. I just flew and redeemed. This time I signed up for the Explorer card when I moved to UA and figured I may as well get some miles from my pain and misery in the hospital.
May 25, 2012, 1:26 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
Glad someone really gets it. When the revolution comes ol' King Jeffy may get a close hair cut from the peasants. Uh oh, a crowd of baby carrying mothers is forming down at the Bastille.
May 25, 2012, 1:42 pm
#11
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 298
As a relatively new father, I never knew how important this "benefit" was until we flew recently without being pre-boarded. Even boarding with Zone 1 (or sky, or whatever they call it now), we caused a bit of a backup just trying to get ourselves situated. It's not like we were deliberately slow or in the way, it just takes a while to get an infant situated. As the FA was barking over the com to move out of the aisle, I was thinking "ahh, that's why they pre-board the infants".
May 25, 2012, 1:48 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,365
I stayed at a Holiday Inn and would cut it out for $5K
May 25, 2012, 2:34 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 46
Even before we had our daughter, I never begrudged the families with small children that were allowed to pre-board. I always preferred that to the alternative of getting stuck behind them while they try to shepherd the child onto the plane, find a spot for their numerous carry-ons, situate the car seat and then try to convince the child to get into it.
May 25, 2012, 4:07 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: TPA
Programs: United - PG, Marriott Silver
Posts: 1,625
I wish Delta would do this; it makes perfect sense.
In fact, what should happen is that people with strollers should board last. Let everyone get on and then the folks toting babies can go down the jetway and board. Everyone else will already be seated, and there will be no one to block. Further, this is 20 minutes less that a small child has to be cooped up on an aircraft. Why anyone would want to prolong the amount of time they have to sit on an aircraft with their child is beyond me.
Of course if there is no pre-boarding, you can bet that most of the same people who seem to need that extra space to board will now happily clog up the aisles as soon as their zone is called. Which is unfortunate because in truth, if you are sitting in Y, the only advantage to boarding early is the overhead space. Given that strollers end up checked, their is no avoiding the wait at baggage claim, thus boarding as near as possible to departure seems like the best situation.
In fact, what should happen is that people with strollers should board last. Let everyone get on and then the folks toting babies can go down the jetway and board. Everyone else will already be seated, and there will be no one to block. Further, this is 20 minutes less that a small child has to be cooped up on an aircraft. Why anyone would want to prolong the amount of time they have to sit on an aircraft with their child is beyond me.
Of course if there is no pre-boarding, you can bet that most of the same people who seem to need that extra space to board will now happily clog up the aisles as soon as their zone is called. Which is unfortunate because in truth, if you are sitting in Y, the only advantage to boarding early is the overhead space. Given that strollers end up checked, their is no avoiding the wait at baggage claim, thus boarding as near as possible to departure seems like the best situation.