trini19

Hi FT,

Maybe I am late to hear this news but couldnt find it in a thread search.

Yesterday morning while boarding for PHL-IAH in group 1, while his BP was being scanned an elderly gentleman in front of me asked the GA how come the family to the side of us did not board as yet? (2 parents and 2 young kids with 1 stroller).

I did not think anything of it until the gentleman pointed it out then I also wondered how come they didnt board as yet.

The GA replied "United does not board families first anymore."

Out of curiousity, anyone know why not? From an operational standpoint, I would assume families might slow the boarding process so would be better for them to board first. From a kindness standpoint, I personally have no issues with letting families with young kids board before me as it wont slow down the rest of pax boarding and also eases up the strain on the parents.

WineCountryUA

and has not for years. And others airlines do not and other airlines do.

This has been highly discussed and FT community is very split on this issue.

Moderator hat on
While this thread probably should be merged into http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ay-2013-a.html, let's see if we can have polite discussion of this issue. Let's avoid the traditional traveling with children bashing that regular invades threads like this.

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

trini19

Oh ok, thanks WineCountryUA. Its weird that I never consciously realized that they stopped boarding families first even if its been like that for years.

If anyone knows the reason (not sure if UA or other airlines posted reasons in the past) for stopping this please let me know.

rmorenc

It's been that way for a while now. In fact, in the past year I've twice been told by the pax lining up in the group 1 line that I needed to "wait my turn - kids don't board early anymore" when traveling with my toddler son -- it never occurred to them that I was also group 1.

It can be taken to extremes by the gate staff as well. Once at BOM the gate agent (briefly) tried to tell us that even though my wife and I had group 1 boarding passes our son needed to board in group 3 as that's what his boarding pass said. Then she noticed he was too young to even walk and let us go "just this once". Not completely UA's fault there, they had just switched to contract employees a few months earlier.

uanj

As someone who attends trade shows in Orlando, I remember none too fondly the days when UA used to board families first. It would be 40% of the plane.

MojaveFlyer

Even though officially families don't get early boarding, I've often seen it practiced at the gate.

JBord

I'd be interested in your reasoning. I've always thought just the opposite as I watch families spend several minutes in the aisle getting the kids situated, and getting toys, books, video games etc., out of the bags before storing them.

Of course, I've also seen people in F hold the boarding up at row 2 while they stand in the aisle and fold their suit jacket just right.

I would actually think it would be better for families to board last (or maybe just before that guy in F!). A lot less pressure when you don't have a bunch of impatient business travelers standing behind you. Plus it gives the kids a few extra minutes to run around before they have to behave for a few hours.

jewels421

In BOS last week, a couple with a 1-2 year old asked about families boarding first when they called for people with disabilities. The GA told them they don't do that anymore. The couple politely pushed back a little -- I didn't hear what reason they gave (major speculation here, but it seemed like their child might have had some sort of developmental challenge). The GA then said, well, we don't officially let families board first but I can't tell you whether you have a disability or not. Basically, I can't board you because you are a family, but if you want to board with those with disabilities I won't stop you. Seemed like a reasonable solution to the situation at hand, although obviously once you open the door to that loophole it gets tough to close it again...

jewels421

I would completely agree with this - less pressure, more running-around time. But, the problem is that people with kids often have a lot of stuff, and, especially for babies, it's stuff they need to have with them. On a full flight, if they boarded last, they'd run the risk of not having overhead space.

dcpdxtrans

That happened to our family at our home airport by a new GA who thought we weren't Group 1 either. Now the GA recognizes me and is very friendly with me. Still, I think it's shortsighted in that boarding fams late does hold up the process. However, such a policy could wreak havoc with the cc folks who believe they deserve priority access (or whatever it is called).

teeceedee

Strange, I've never noticed this missing. I'm almost positive I've seen many families board first

SunLover

Can't have families boarding before credit card holders...


SunLover

JBord

And this is exactly why they slow down the boarding process. I've also seen a mom and child (in a car seat) board aisle and middle and then watch the 5 minute process of letting the window passenger in, and reset the car seat.

I should also add that the bigger issue might be a savvy traveler vs. an inexperienced family. I notice that some families are much more efficient at boarding than others. I suspect, but have no proof, that those families contain at least one frequent flier.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Exactly. Boarding is slowed by letting families go first. Just another over-entitled group. Boarding another "special group" would only slow things down. Better to let parents and their spawn board dispersed among other passengers. It really doesn't slow things down as much as letting them board as a special group. Most time in the past when they call 'em separately, there's a time gap between the call and when the parents/kids have gathered up their belongings and head to the gate. If they board with the rest of the passengers, the gathering proceeds as others board. No time lost.

The point at which families slow down boarding is moot. They can slow it down as part of a special group, or they can slow it down as part of the regular process. In my opinion, the regular process slows down by group 2, so families have plenty of time to arrange themselves because they are already not the reason for the slowing.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

The window passenger could not get past the set car seat???? #1 that would be a safety violation, #2 every seat I've seen allows passage in front of it w/o removal or "resetting".