fragment54

I don't care if kids get to board early, but I definitely have experienced frustration with the abusers. How pathetic do you have to be as a dad to knowingly break rules using your 5 year old just because you're too poor to fork over $40 (or, heck, just get a credit card).

This wouldn't be an issue at all if UA would quit letting people put their carry on AND their personal item in the overhead bins. That is much more rampantly abused than the whole kid thing.

uastarflyer

In this case the criticism is unwarranted

No preboard is the better policy.

hoopics

The next time I accidentially nail you folks in the E+ aisle seats in the head as I walk down the aisle sideways during group 4 boarding, because I am carrying my 3 year old's car seat in my right hand and my infant's bucket (with infant in it) in my left hand (while my wife brings up the rear carrying the two diaper bags, her carry on satchel, and my laptop or camera bag), please accept my honest apologies. I'd have liked to board with all my crap before your head came to be seated in my way, but they didn't give me a choice.

freeflyin

I'd for one would like to praise you for buying the seats for your children and using the car seats-and as the parent of 5, I would suggest a backpack in lieu of the 2 diaper bags. It would make your travel load alot easier!

flavorflav

Here's the thing: Children preboarding/not preboarding was the most inconsistently-applied UA policy before 3/3, and I suspect it will remain so going forward.

I guarantee you that somewhere tomorrow in the UA system -- likely plenty of places -- the GA will preboard families with small children. Same thing six months from now. You can go up to the podium waving that USA TODAY article and the agent will tell you that UA boards kids first and has always boarded kids first.

And for every GA who says "this is an MCO-bound flight, everyone has kids, therefore no kids board early" another will say "this is the Disney express, let's board all you families early."

agarc

Boarding has been inconsistent since the start of this awful merger.

I have to say, I like the simplicity of DL's boarding. Babies and wheelchairs, a decent pause, First, Sky (upper elites and prem. econ), then some zones.

I remember the good ol' days at PMUA, that was simple too. Red carpet GS/1K/First, (Business soon afterwards); no carpet Prem exec/*G, then 1-4. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember UA boarding wheelchairs before GS, but children later on. Made sense to me.

It's all FUBAR now and I'm so glad I no longer have to experience the inconsistent confusion and elite cattle calls that the new United calls "boarding."

AlohaDaveKennedy

Should only first or business class children board first ahead of children of a lower class. Or has United done a class act of shooting itself in the foot?

I'm not so sure I wanna ride in the back of the United bus, ...ummm...I mean plane, with all the lower class children. Shouldn't we have seperate, but equal planes for them?

What next Jeffy, you gonna use waterhoses and dogs to enforce the rule?


(CNN) -- As families prepare for air travel this coming Memorial Day weekend, United Airlines won't be offering early boarding to families in coach with small children.

Joining a handful of other carriers, United made the policy shift in late April with little fanfare.

Previously, families with small children flying coach were allowed on aircraft before general boarding, a convenience for moms and dads trying to herd their kids across the friendly skies.

"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.

discjoker

They make it sound as if this is something new or some sort of class warfare thing. This is how it always has been and will continue to be. Of course those who travel in first or business class board early, children and adults. The way it has always been. The only thing they are doing is getting rid of advance family boarding in coach...the first/business class advance boarding shouldn't even have been brought into the discussion since there really is nothing new there.

CodeAdam10

+1 ^

To say ..."The airline does allow passengers with children traveling in first class or business class to board early." was in bad taste as FC/BC passengers are entitled to board early - regardless of age. Same goes for elite passengers and their family (on the same PNR), they can board early as well with their children.

Another half-researched (travel) article.

FlyingHoustonian

As a plat who regularly flies back and forth transatlantic with two small children (in paid seats too) I board with the platinums, as is allowed.

To the feckless hacks who make snide comments at the gate, or try to be "helpful" and tell me kids don't board at that time, just get the hell out of my way or buy a higher class of ticket so you can board before me. I'd hate for my PTSD to kick in and me have to kill you with a spoon.

I agree with the other posters who have posted about inconsistent boarding procedures. That is a pet peeve of mine with UA (and a few others).

Be it 2k, plat,military, kids,actors-who-get-on-before-everyone-else, whatever the order should be, make it uniform policy across the "new" UA so there is less guessing amongst pax.

sbm12

The only change is that rather than boarding after all the elites and CC holders the families board after all the elites and CC holders, but in their assigned groups.

It isn't like they were previously the first passengers on board and now they're not.

glx

Want the benefit? Pay for it. It's a benefit, not a freebie.

LilAbner

Actually the rules read as follows ---

"ALL children MUST board in their assigned groups between ANY hub city and MCO, and there WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS". HOWEVER, between MCO and ANY hub city the rules are explicitly clear and are quite different--- "All passengers regardless of age wearing large mouse ears are ONLY permitted to board before any other passenger is seated"!
This rule is called the preventative "Slap Upside the Head" rule which is to prevent these beanies, with ears, from banging into every passenger between row 1 and their assigned seat.

AAExPlat

You'll have to explain this one to me. How does one "pay" for the benefit to pre-board before all other passengers? I think I know what you mean (buy F to board early), but that doesn't really accomplish the same as pre-boarding does (not be in the way of ANYONE during the time to get settled).

But I am guessing that your overly aggressive tone tells me all I need to know about your real knowledge of the matter.

Since you're GS, you probably fly F most of the time. Please let me know how a family with small children inconveniences you by boarding before you. I'd like to understand what your beef is...

aacharya

You get the credit card, pay for E+, etc. That's how you pay for it.

I find everytime I've been on a recent flight with families, there have been MAJOR seating issues, since families who want to sit together wait until the day of to try to sit together. As you know, by then, gate agents can't help, and so everyone is all jumbled up as the FA attempts to reseat everyone. Not to mention that these families, to avoid bag fees, have more than one carry-on each.

The example cited before of a three-person family carrying two diaper bags, stroller/car seat, and only one extra bag is a rare one. More often than not, there are also two/three roller bags.

This is not directed at AAExPlat or any other FTer, who know better. But the typical families who buy tickets on orbitz, and have no clue.