dank0014

But for once, I can't really blame UA for that. I truly believe it's an airport design issue. Many of the U.S. airports were really never designed for the line up of passengers prior to the actual boarding. Could they redesign, yes, but that means under utilization of space and building/land cost tons of $$. Delta has the exact same problem, but IMO, theirs is limited to a smaller group since they tend to operate with just two lines (meaning if pax are not in those two groups, they stand out of the way or stay seated - not all, but a significant number).

I tend to believe that the boarding actually works much better at those UA gates that only have two lines. Though you have some that mix in (e.g. group 1 & 2), for the most part, the group 2 folks stay aside until group 1 has finished boarding. The only issue I see with that is those group 2 folks who think the end of the group 1 line has approached and get in, and there are actually group 1 folks still mingling in the line trying to swim up the stream to get up front.

UA's process could work, IF there was room in the terminal. And truthfully, if there was more room in the terminal, they should go back to more boarding groups IMO. Credit Card holders IMO should not be boarding with UA Gold.

Silver Fox

I'd like to see some of those bags tested in the sizer !

awu25

The only problem I have with the two line system is that if I miss the group 1 calling, I'm forced to wait behind all of group 2 to get on board (unless I start asking everyone if they're in group 1 and cut people)

94010flyer

One of the big problems with boarding procedure on United is that there are too many in group 1 and group 2, and the lines from the six groups are too cramped together to figure out which line is for which if you are in the back, especially for the long group 1 and group 2 line.

I have been advocating in all of my flight reviews to United that they break down groups into smaller groups and end up with 6 or more groups, and have only three lines. Eg. you can then have people who are in group 1, 2 and 3 standing and waiting in the three lines. Those in group 4, 5, and six remain SEATED, and once group 1 goes into the jetway, the people in group 4 can then get up and fill the first line. Same goes for group 2 replaced by group 5, and finally group 6 repaced by group 3.

This is sort of what Southwest does, and at Southwest, the entry area into the gateway stays relatively uncrowded, the later groups get to sit until their group is called and boarding is so much easier. I can see this being especially useful at the hubs where the line for group 1 is just way too long and meanders and mixes with the other folks in line.

Anyone have any thoughts on this idea?

Wat

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Premier Access Boarding;
Group 1: F, BF, 1K (i.e. me)
Group 2: Plat, Gold, *G
Group 3: Silver, credit carders, access buyers

Regular boarding:
Group 4: E+ purchasers, Window
Group 5: Middle, Aisle

Yes, it is my suggestion.

NDN

Is this your suggestion?

94010flyer

My suggestion is more about how many lines they set up rather than who is in which group.

Rather than having 5 groups and five lines, as they do now, I suggest smaller groups (no suggestion on who's in what group), and fewer lines for people to stand in at the gate area. Thus, you don't have the whole plane standing up in a queue for all five groups near the gate at once.

If you had six groups and only 3 lines, Group 1, 2 and 3 fill those lines first, then Groups 3, 4, and 5 would remain out of the line-up area and stay seated until group 1 went, and then all of group three could get up and proceed to the now vacated area for line 1.

Its what southwest does by lining up A1-30 in one line, and A31-60 in another line. Then once A1-30 boards, B1-30 fills up the empty line, whlle A310-60 are boarding.. .and so on with C1-30 and C31-60.

lincolnjkc

I think at WN there's the built in motivation to board with your group/as early as possible (but not before) thanks to the "survival of the fittest" onboard seating [it's the only reason I don't fly WN] -- WN also doesn't charge for baggage so people haven't been as concerned about staking out "their" overhead bin space -- so I don't think you'd see the same results on UA. (WN also has 5 sequence subgroups that help people to file themselves within a group effectively)

It also creates an issue with "late arriving" priority premier access -- on some tight connections where my stress level and heart rate is up from running across the terminal, I love being able to just walk up to the gate and board... If that queue has been "flipped" and is now serving group 4 instead of group 1 I'm not sure how that would work.

On the other hand the 2 lane system needs to go for mainline aircraft. At IAH last week I arrived at the gate ~45 prior to departure and the Group 1/2 queue was down the hallway (>100'). People at the end of the queue were group 2, started asking people "Are you in Group 1?" until I got to a woman who said "It's all one line, the group number doesn't matter" (more prodding revealed she was group 2, but she kept insisting that groups 1 and 2 were going to board at the some time since "it's only one line". There were no announcements until the GA started boarding group 1 and 20 out of the first 30 people were asked to stand aside because "we're only boarding group 1 right now" ... what a mess.

halls120

This is a common experience at SFO when boarding at the international gates. Groups 1 and two can easily reach the escalators and beyond, and it's hard to figure out which line is which if you don't get to the gate early.

NDN

SFO->IAD, SFO->EWR...terrible

physioprof

It only works this way on SW because every passenger has a numerical rank within each group, and has to line up according to their number in their group regardless of when they get in line. On SW, when you get in line has absolutely zero effect on when you get on the plane With the UA (and other airlines) system, when you get in line affects when you get on the plane, and this is why people crowd the boarding lines, to try to get in line sooner, and thus get on the plane sooner.

PVDtoDEL

Per a gate agent and my boarding passes, UA has downgraded *G members to group 2 boarding. Up until this week (including the outbound of my current trip), I had always gotten group 1. Another "friendly" change from UA

blackllotus

I think it's been that way for a while. It wouldn't make sense for *G to be boarding group 1 because premier gold is boarding group 2 and premier gold gets you *G.

JBord

Been this way for years. Perhaps something else kept you in group 1 before?

Wouldn't make sense for UA Gold to board in group 2 if *A Gold boarded in group 1 would it?

dmkorten

I'm UA Gold and have been in boarding group 2 for as long as I can remember as long as I don't get upgraded.