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]
#1096
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
So, I've been following the other thread on changing the boarding group process. Leaving that aside for now, anyone notice the strange phenomenon now that "everyone" is in boarding group 1? Especially in DEN? I've had my third flight experience recently when they call group one and half the plane lines up in the Premier lane. That's just impossible...or is it?
#1097
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: BOI, et. al
Programs: UA Premier 1k, Marriott Platinum Elite, Star Alliance Gold, SPG Platinum, Yelp Elite
Posts: 219
Well I was thinking it was something like that, but the gate agent does absolutely nothing to contradict it. I mean if you are in the very back of the plane with a huge rollerbag trying to stuff it in the overhead, that doesn't scream FF to me. I was just thinking it was the blowback of post holiday travel and the GA's just not having the patience to explain to everyone that they aren't in the correct boarding sequence.
#1098
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
Posts: 13,316
I get a kick out of all the "Jeff and Co are out to destroy the airline" stuff. Folks this seems pretty clear to me: They tried it the CO way because CO was relatively successful with the very limited/much smaller market they had. Many of the CO "things" (all elites are equal, IRROPS attitude/processes, Boarding, meal ordering, and MANY others) do not scale and do not work in the bigger UA network. They are CLEARLY changing course...OK fine, take the pi$$ out of them for a series of mistakes but they are CLEARLY changing course. The fact that they are changing ANYTHING should be the signal that many of the changes that happened on 3/3 have been recognized as mistakes and reversed. IRROPS and Boarding are/have been horrible but give them a chance to reverse course and make it right. I am as cynical as the next guy but I take some amount of comfort in the fact they ARE adjusting. I have been part of many integrations that were hell bent to force one process over the other, nobody had the guts to admit a mistake, and the thing entered a death spiral.
The attempt to "fix" acknowledges, by definition, the fact that it was broke., Give them a chance.
The attempt to "fix" acknowledges, by definition, the fact that it was broke., Give them a chance.
#1099
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
Well I was thinking it was something like that, but the gate agent does absolutely nothing to contradict it. I mean if you are in the very back of the plane with a huge rollerbag trying to stuff it in the overhead, that doesn't scream FF to me. I was just thinking it was the blowback of post holiday travel and the GA's just not having the patience to explain to everyone that they aren't in the correct boarding sequence.
#1100
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Just outside Big D, or many other places in big metal tubes
Programs: WN Rpd.Rwrds, AA, was longtime CO very top Elite tier, Overentitled UA Lifetime 1K (since 2012)
Posts: 1,334
Monty Python style protest
How about we all go out and rent wheelchairs and have staff at airports push us to UA gates for the next few weeks? Then there will be many FTers with various Premier level statuses showing up for all UA flights. We all get to preboard with GS, the GAs have fun, and Smisek and other UA management can tear out their hair.
Any other creative spinoffs to this protest? (Disclaimer: By the way, this in no way is intended to make fun of persons with disabilities. I have a disabled person close to me who flies and needs a wheelchair to get to the gates.)
Any other creative spinoffs to this protest? (Disclaimer: By the way, this in no way is intended to make fun of persons with disabilities. I have a disabled person close to me who flies and needs a wheelchair to get to the gates.)
#1101
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 266
Or for that matter, what real post-merger enhancement can any of us point to that has earned our trust and deepened our loyalty to UA? It doesn't matter which airline you flew pre-merger. The growing consensus across the board is that UA's unstated mission statement is to truly alienate their most loyal customers.
One benefit of UA Insider's posts (not shooting the messenger, she's just doing her job and is appreciated for her hard work): they make us more "united" than this airline is even remotely capable of doing.
One benefit of UA Insider's posts (not shooting the messenger, she's just doing her job and is appreciated for her hard work): they make us more "united" than this airline is even remotely capable of doing.
#1102
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,645
I get a kick out of all the "Jeff and Co are out to destroy the airline" stuff. Folks this seems pretty clear to me: They tried it the CO way because CO was relatively successful with the very limited/much smaller market they had. Many of the CO "things" (all elites are equal, IRROPS attitude/processes, Boarding, meal ordering, and MANY others) do not scale and do not work in the bigger UA network. They are CLEARLY changing course...OK fine, take the pi$$ out of them for a series of mistakes but they are CLEARLY changing course. The fact that they are changing ANYTHING should be the signal that many of the changes that happened on 3/3 have been recognized as mistakes and reversed. IRROPS and Boarding are/have been horrible but give them a chance to reverse course and make it right. I am as cynical as the next guy but I take some amount of comfort in the fact they ARE adjusting. I have been part of many integrations that were hell bent to force one process over the other, nobody had the guts to admit a mistake, and the thing entered a death spiral.
The attempt to "fix" acknowledges, by definition, the fact that it was broke., Give them a chance.
The attempt to "fix" acknowledges, by definition, the fact that it was broke., Give them a chance.
The rest is noise.
#1103
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
Posts: 13,316
How about we all go out and rent wheelchairs and have staff at airports push us to UA gates for the next few weeks? Then there will be many FTers with various Premier level statuses showing up for all UA flights. We all get to preboard with GS, the GAs have fun, and Smisek and other UA management can tear out their hair.
Any other creative spinoffs to this protest? (Disclaimer: By the way, this in no way is intended to make fun of persons with disabilities. I have a disabled person close to me who flies and needs a wheelchair to get to the gates.)
Any other creative spinoffs to this protest? (Disclaimer: By the way, this in no way is intended to make fun of persons with disabilities. I have a disabled person close to me who flies and needs a wheelchair to get to the gates.)
#1104
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
I get a kick out of all the "Jeff and Co are out to destroy the airline" stuff. Folks this seems pretty clear to me: They tried it the CO way because CO was relatively successful with the very limited/much smaller market they had. Many of the CO "things" (all elites are equal, IRROPS attitude/processes, Boarding, meal ordering, and MANY others) do not scale and do not work in the bigger UA network. They are CLEARLY changing course...OK fine, take the pi$$ out of them for a series of mistakes but they are CLEARLY changing course. The fact that they are changing ANYTHING should be the signal that many of the changes that happened on 3/3 have been recognized as mistakes and reversed. IRROPS and Boarding are/have been horrible but give them a chance to reverse course and make it right. I am as cynical as the next guy but I take some amount of comfort in the fact they ARE adjusting. I have been part of many integrations that were hell bent to force one process over the other, nobody had the guts to admit a mistake, and the thing entered a death spiral.
The attempt to "fix" acknowledges, by definition, the fact that it was broke., Give them a chance.
The attempt to "fix" acknowledges, by definition, the fact that it was broke., Give them a chance.
#1105
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 22
What they really need is a mechanism to enforce boarding zones...as you point out if it continues to be up to individual GAs to enforce manually there will never be consistency. I don't envy them!
The "new" Group 1 is really just the old Group 1 & 2 combined. I've only done 2 segments since the switch in F and it really was not too noticeable on my flights, but I've been in either Group 1 or Group 2 for a while. I also fly mostly domestic which have fewer people in the front cabins anyway.
The "new" Group 1 is really just the old Group 1 & 2 combined. I've only done 2 segments since the switch in F and it really was not too noticeable on my flights, but I've been in either Group 1 or Group 2 for a while. I also fly mostly domestic which have fewer people in the front cabins anyway.
#1106
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Springfield,MO,USA
Programs: UA 1K MM, HH Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,604
UA619 DCA-ORD on 1/11, GA called for disabled, Military in Uniform and GS. Then she calls group 2. She had forgot to call group 1 entirely. Pissed me off but I let it slide since I fly there often and not looking to make enemies. Others in gate area confirmed she had not called group 1 so it wasn't me spacing out.
#1107
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
Posts: 13,316
I tend to agree but I have to believe that will be addressed. I am not talking about not taking cash over CPU's ..that would be stupid and bad business but they need to fix the major issue I see around UG's which is: If somebody is willing to "pay" with miles or RPU/GPU's then why are they not taking them. CPU's should be by status and then fare class...fair enough but to hand over the waitlist at 24hrs and throw everyone into an UG scrum is just stupid on their part. I have had more 20K mile upgrades go unfilled only to get the CPU at the gate. They lose 20K points or a RPU every time they do that. My assumption is that it is an IT issue but if I were CEO that would be the first thing I fixed. They are literally throwing away money every flight.
#1108
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
What they really need is a mechanism to enforce boarding zones...as you point out if it continues to be up to individual GAs to enforce manually there will never be consistency. I don't envy them!
The "new" Group 1 is really just the old Group 1 & 2 combined. I've only done 2 segments since the switch in F and it really was not too noticeable on my flights, but I've been in either Group 1 or Group 2 for a while. I also fly mostly domestic which have fewer people in the front cabins anyway.
The "new" Group 1 is really just the old Group 1 & 2 combined. I've only done 2 segments since the switch in F and it really was not too noticeable on my flights, but I've been in either Group 1 or Group 2 for a while. I also fly mostly domestic which have fewer people in the front cabins anyway.
#1109
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,803
UA619 DCA-ORD on 1/11, GA called for disabled, Military in Uniform and GS. Then she calls group 2. She had forgot to call group 1 entirely. Pissed me off but I let it slide since I fly there often and not looking to make enemies. Others in gate area confirmed she had not called group 1 so it wasn't me spacing out.
What they really need is a mechanism to enforce boarding zones...as you point out if it continues to be up to individual GAs to enforce manually there will never be consistency. I don't envy them!
The "new" Group 1 is really just the old Group 1 & 2 combined. I've only done 2 segments since the switch in F and it really was not too noticeable on my flights, but I've been in either Group 1 or Group 2 for a while. I also fly mostly domestic which have fewer people in the front cabins anyway.
The "new" Group 1 is really just the old Group 1 & 2 combined. I've only done 2 segments since the switch in F and it really was not too noticeable on my flights, but I've been in either Group 1 or Group 2 for a while. I also fly mostly domestic which have fewer people in the front cabins anyway.
Last edited by iluv2fly; Jan 12, 2013 at 4:08 pm Reason: merge
#1110
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SNA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 239
F, 1k and Plat are all BG-1 now, it wouldn't surprise me to see half the plane line up in elite heavy airports such as hubs or my home SNA.
When I was a group 3 gold, I do recall seeing GA's often chastise someone trying to sneak by and then announcing "we are only boarding group 2 now...".
Now that they let us lowly plats board with the truly elite folks, I no longer get to witness much of the gate carnage.
When I was a group 3 gold, I do recall seeing GA's often chastise someone trying to sneak by and then announcing "we are only boarding group 2 now...".
Now that they let us lowly plats board with the truly elite folks, I no longer get to witness much of the gate carnage.