May 21, 2013, 10:43 am
Last edit by: aacharya
Source: https://hub.united.com/en-us/News/Co...g-process.aspx
Pre-Boarding
Premier Access Boarding
*A Star Alliance Silver who is not a Premier Silver is not eligible for Premier Access boarding.
General boarding (Window Seats, then Middle Seats, then Aisle)
Note: If you’re traveling with a companion and one of you has a higher boarding status, you both may board with the earlier group.
Note: Self Boarding Gates are being tested at the following gates...
sUA Boarding Times by Aircraft (AFA)
Pre-Boarding
- Customers with Disabilities
- Global Services
- Uniformed Military Personnel
- Families with Children Age Two and Under
Premier Access Boarding
- Group 1: Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, BusinessFirst, and First.
- Group 2: Premier Gold, Star Gold, Premier Silver*, MileagePlus Presidential Plus, Club, Explorer and Awards, purchased Premier Access
*A Star Alliance Silver who is not a Premier Silver is not eligible for Premier Access boarding.
General boarding (Window Seats, then Middle Seats, then Aisle)
- Group 3 - Window Seats
- Group 4 - Middle Seats (Aisle Seats on UA Express)
- Group 5 - Aisle Seats
Note: If you’re traveling with a companion and one of you has a higher boarding status, you both may board with the earlier group.
Note: Self Boarding Gates are being tested at the following gates...
- IAH - Gate C25/C26 - See Post 2960, Includes YouTube video from CO777DAL
- IAH - Gate E4 - Old test from pmCO days, See Thread Here
- BOS - Self boarding gates are now back in *LIMITED* use at least at gates B25 and B26
sUA Boarding Times by Aircraft (AFA)
United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [Revised, May 2013]
Feb 1, 2013, 10:31 am
#1696
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 5,814
Burned a RPU on a friend flying to San Diego today. While she's not an infrequent traveler, she's shy of Silver and looks like the 22-year-old college student she is; went to board in Denver and the agent attempted to turn her away from boarding in Group 1.
So at least they're TRYING to enforce the boarding zones, although they should probably actually look at the boarding pass first.
So at least they're TRYING to enforce the boarding zones, although they should probably actually look at the boarding pass first.
If she was in F, then she should be in Group 1.
Feb 1, 2013, 2:40 pm
#1697
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Denver
Programs: UA GS, SPG Plat, HHonors Diamond, Marriot Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 54
Burned a RPU on a friend flying to San Diego today. While she's not an infrequent traveler, she's shy of Silver and looks like the 22-year-old college student she is; went to board in Denver and the agent attempted to turn her away from boarding in Group 1.
So at least they're TRYING to enforce the boarding zones, although they should probably actually look at the boarding pass first.
So at least they're TRYING to enforce the boarding zones, although they should probably actually look at the boarding pass first.
Feb 1, 2013, 4:37 pm
#1698
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
Two UA flights last week
1) First flight GA called for 'CO Plat' to board first, then called for boarding group 1
2) Flying back to CDG from ORD was a giant mess. The crowd was actually blocking the moving walkway and it was worse than I ever recall with people seemingly confused about the boarding process. From what I could tell, very few of us were actually in boarding group 1 when I actually managed to make my way through
1) First flight GA called for 'CO Plat' to board first, then called for boarding group 1
2) Flying back to CDG from ORD was a giant mess. The crowd was actually blocking the moving walkway and it was worse than I ever recall with people seemingly confused about the boarding process. From what I could tell, very few of us were actually in boarding group 1 when I actually managed to make my way through
Feb 1, 2013, 4:46 pm
#1699
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: IAH
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz PC, Avis 1st
Posts: 313
Feb 1, 2013, 4:48 pm
#1700
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
I couldn't tell if it was still former CO hostility, or just a very confused GA, but it seemed to be a very separate and distinct boarding group. As a 1K in F I was held back until Group 1 was called.
I frankly had almost forgotten how bad boarding and the fight for overhead space is on UA flights, and it seems even worse now than I remember. Boarding in Europe may tend to be 'all board at once' but it just seems to be easier and less of a battle.
I frankly had almost forgotten how bad boarding and the fight for overhead space is on UA flights, and it seems even worse now than I remember. Boarding in Europe may tend to be 'all board at once' but it just seems to be easier and less of a battle.
Feb 1, 2013, 5:10 pm
#1701
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: YYC
Posts: 215
I couldn't tell if it was still former CO hostility, or just a very confused GA, but it seemed to be a very separate and distinct boarding group. As a 1K in F I was held back until Group 1 was called.
I frankly had almost forgotten how bad boarding and the fight for overhead space is on UA flights, and it seems even worse now than I remember. Boarding in Europe may tend to be 'all board at once' but it just seems to be easier and less of a battle.
I frankly had almost forgotten how bad boarding and the fight for overhead space is on UA flights, and it seems even worse now than I remember. Boarding in Europe may tend to be 'all board at once' but it just seems to be easier and less of a battle.
Feb 1, 2013, 5:29 pm
#1702
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
I've been flying Blue as a nobody in Economy and it's still easier than UA flights. I don't recall seeing any carry on being checked on any of my intra-Europe flights in the last year - it's the carry on bag situation which leads to the boarding stress on UA, I believe. I wouldn't bother to fight my way to board in Group 1 but it's the only way I can be somewhat assured of a place for my small carry on.
The number of carry on being checked in the end to CDG was frankly astounding. I didn't fly UA much at all in 2012 and it seems like boarding is getting worse and the carry on situation is getting worse, if that were even possible.
The number of carry on being checked in the end to CDG was frankly astounding. I didn't fly UA much at all in 2012 and it seems like boarding is getting worse and the carry on situation is getting worse, if that were even possible.
Feb 2, 2013, 8:09 am
#1703
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Mlife Noir, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 22
Is this really the plan?
Just boarded a 777 in Denver for Chicago, first time with the new boarding process. They split the people into two sides, group 1-2 on the left, groups 3-5 on the right. Two wrinkles:
#1 - TSA agents checking everyone's ids (maybe this is standard now). Definitely slowed things down
#2 - They started the left and right sides in parallel - meaning that group 3 started boarding with group 1. I'm in group 2, which basically put me near the back to board. Is this really the new procedure? Or was this a massive screw-up? It seems like they should use the left/right sides to process groups 1 and 2 first, but what do I know?
#1 - TSA agents checking everyone's ids (maybe this is standard now). Definitely slowed things down
#2 - They started the left and right sides in parallel - meaning that group 3 started boarding with group 1. I'm in group 2, which basically put me near the back to board. Is this really the new procedure? Or was this a massive screw-up? It seems like they should use the left/right sides to process groups 1 and 2 first, but what do I know?
Feb 2, 2013, 8:43 am
#1704
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: IAD
Programs: UA GS, 1MM; Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 561
Certainly not how it's supposed to be, boarding 3 and 1 at the same time...
Feb 2, 2013, 9:09 am
#1705
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN (MSP)
Programs: DL DM, UA 1K MM, Subway Club Member
Posts: 1,988
Feb 2, 2013, 9:52 am
#1706
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lahaina, HI & Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,403
The policy states "uniformed" military personnel, but it seems more often than not, the "uniformed" is left off. At DEN today at least 30 people boarded under the broad category. Not one in uniform. Best guess that 1/3 were not military.
Feb 2, 2013, 10:05 am
#1707
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
.But seriously, I've also heard "military in uniform" plus "military in and out of uniform and if out of uniform, please show your military I/D to the agent while boarding"
Feb 2, 2013, 10:15 am
#1708
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Lame Duck Delta PM, Freshly Minted AA EXP
Posts: 234
From a credit card holder.
I am one of those "few people" who has no status with United, but does have their credit card. I rarely travel for business, and take one or two leisure trips a year. I am baffled by this change in the boarding process. I last flew in September, and was happy with being in what was then Group 4. I saw it as entirely reasonable that those with varying levels of status should board before me, as these people did lots more business with the airline than I did. I also thought the boarding process on all four of my segments went smoothly under the old system. Now, I am not looking forward to my next trip in May and having to deal with the scrums that are apparently now part-and-parcel of boarding a United flight. I can't even imagine how frustrating this must be for those who fly regularly. I am (perhaps naively...) hoping that UAInsider comes back sometime soon and lets us know that this misguided decision has been rescinded.
Feb 2, 2013, 10:18 am
#1709
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ITO_SFO
Posts: 40
Sneak a peek
With the new boarding process in effect since Jan 2013, how many of you find yourselves "sneaking a peek" at your fellow travelers to see what boarding group number they have? Would you also inform them that they should not crowd the boarding area when they have a group number < yours?
Feb 2, 2013, 11:17 am
#1710
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: USA
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 328
It pays to board last now if traveling without bags.