45 Minute Boarding Time for Narrow-Body Aircraft on UA?
Mar 8, 2012, 11:13 pm
#61
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: IAH / HOU
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I took a sUA flight last week. I arrived at the gate five minutes before the boarding time printed on my boarding pass and almost the entire plane was loaded when I arrived. So I suspect that differences in boarding times may be due largely to how the gate agents handle the boarding and how cooperative the passengers are, and not just what the actual procedure is.
Mar 9, 2012, 12:02 am
#62
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: DAL
Programs: UA 1K AA EXP
Posts: 632
This is the worst case: having an early, padded boarding time which is not even followed. You have to leave the RCC/shops/etc. early and rush to the gate because if you arrive after boarding starts, you might not find any room for your rollaboard in the bins (especially now that the Premier Acces lane is open to almost everyone, and no longer reserved for 1K/GS/F/C). And then, you get to the gate and find that boarding has not started as scheduled, the GAs are taking their time, and there are no seats left near the boarding door, so you have to stand in the gate area for 20 minutes until boarding starts for real.
I can see how it's frustrating if you don't know when to get to the gate. Flying CO for the past 14 years, I just use the boarding time as a guidance. I know like I said based on the plane, route, and airport when they will really board. If they already started you can cut on the blue carpet.I never had a boarding issue on sCO.
Mar 9, 2012, 12:13 am
#63
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Not really. With most of the ExpressJet at outstations they have that early boarding listed but they really don't board till 20 mins out. ( I have never seen an ExpressJet flight board at boarding time.) Oh and roller-boards don't matter on ERJ. They are going in the back. I don't get to the gate till 20 mins till. Now in IAH they will board early and most push 10 till if they can. I see it is mostly sUA FF that are having trouble with the boarding time. Most of the sCO FF know when boarding starts for flight based on plane, route and airport.
I can see how it's frustrating if you don't know when to get to the gate. Flying CO for the past 14 years, I just use the boarding time as a guidance. I know like I said based on the plane, route, and airport when they will really board. If they already started you can cut on the blue carpet.I never had a boarding issue on sCO.
I can see how it's frustrating if you don't know when to get to the gate. Flying CO for the past 14 years, I just use the boarding time as a guidance. I know like I said based on the plane, route, and airport when they will really board. If they already started you can cut on the blue carpet.I never had a boarding issue on sCO.
Mar 9, 2012, 4:04 am
#64
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,483
Please explain how random boarding is "one of the most efficient" methods. I think you are confusing random boarding into open seating (e.g. Southwest) with random boarding into assigned seating. Totally different things.http://menkes76.com/projects/boarding/boarding.htm
Mar 9, 2012, 8:01 am
#66
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
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Posts: 6,392
45 min boarding is good.... if the GA on your previous connecting flight off-loaded you (instead of clearing your UG), it gives the current GA more time to call the CO help desk and figure out how to get you back on the flight. And that's at least a 20 minute process.
Don't laugh, this pretty much happened to us this week.
Don't laugh, this pretty much happened to us this week.
Mar 9, 2012, 9:39 am
#67
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: UA GS, SPG Gold, HH Gold, MR Gold, Avis First
Posts: 30
I have only one wish on this issue -- that they would determine reasonable boarding times (I prefer UA's old ones, the CO ones seem exaggerated) and then HONOR them -- publish the countdown at the gate and board when they say they're going to board. CO employees never understood that published boarding times set consumer expectations and their lazy-seeming execution of this made the airline seem sloppy.
I couldn't agree more. If I wanted a scrum at the boarding gate I'd go fly with Southwest. Oops did I say that out loud?
Mar 26, 2012, 3:25 pm
#68
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA MP 1K Million Miler, HHonors Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 646
Boarding times
The boarding passes for every narrow body flight I have taken since 3/3 has indicated a boarding time 45 minutes in advance of the departure time. This is a marked change from pre-3/3 days on UA. Standard boarding time was always 30 minutes. What's the deal? Boarding is still actually occurring at 30 minutes despite what is printed on the BP.
Also another change. The information boards in the gate area no longer list the time till boarding as had been the case in the past. Not a big deal, but why this change?
Also another change. The information boards in the gate area no longer list the time till boarding as had been the case in the past. Not a big deal, but why this change?
Mar 26, 2012, 3:31 pm
#70
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: DEN,SJC,SFO
Programs: HHonors Diamond, United 1K, Emerald Club Elite Exec
Posts: 121
Been a big pet peeve of mine as well. When I talked to one of the Gate Agents in DEN I see quite regularly he told me multiple people have been coming up to him asking why the "Plane is delayed" due to BP not showing the time staff is actually boarding the plane.
Currently in DEN he has stated they will be keeping the 30 min door opening that has been in place over the 45 min BP time.
Currently in DEN he has stated they will be keeping the 30 min door opening that has been in place over the 45 min BP time.
Mar 26, 2012, 3:35 pm
#71
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: DEN
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So far all of my flights since 3/3 have listed 45 min prior as boarding time (all 757s and A320s). Some screens have shown the countdown to the 30 minute mark, other boarding screens started saying "Now Boarding" and zones started appearing on the monitor 45 min in advance, even though the GA was not calling anyone yet. This created the worst scrum I have seen.
Sadly, sicne 3/3 not a single plane has finished boarding within the 30 min, and no two boarding process have been alike. Last night families with children under 4 were called to board before any one else.
Sadly, sicne 3/3 not a single plane has finished boarding within the 30 min, and no two boarding process have been alike. Last night families with children under 4 were called to board before any one else.
Mar 26, 2012, 3:43 pm
#72
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: PAE
Posts: 302
I've had only four flights since 3/3. All of them were on 757s, all of them had 45 minutes boarding time printed on the boarding pass and all of them started boarding about 30 minutes before departure time. Being at the gate early and waiting for 15 minutes was annoying, to say the least. 
Mar 26, 2012, 3:48 pm
#73
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The 737 flights should be showing a *35* minute boarding time, not 45. 35 was standard on CO. 45 was used for 757 and I believe 767 flights. The 777 flights are shown with a 50 minute boarding time.
-RM
-RM
Mar 26, 2012, 4:17 pm
#74
Join Date: May 2005
Location: various cities in the USofA: NYC, BWI, IAH, ORD, CVG, NYC
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I've had several flights with a "Boarding Time" before the scheduled arrival of the incoming flight. One of my flights today had a boarding time 2 minutes after the scheduled arrival of the incoming aircraft.
This seems to be common at outstations for UAex.
This seems to be common at outstations for UAex.
Mar 26, 2012, 4:24 pm
#75
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The boarding passes for every narrow body flight I have taken since 3/3 has indicated a boarding time 45 minutes in advance of the departure time. This is a marked change from pre-3/3 days on UA. Standard boarding time was always 30 minutes. What's the deal? Boarding is still actually occurring at 30 minutes despite what is printed on the BP.
Love how they continue to do 35 minutes for RJs, and never, ever board at T-35
