94010flyer

Horrible story and awful behavior but TOTALLY irrelevant to the question of when is the best time for families with children to board. This VERY bad behavior happened with normal boarding, and would happen at any point in time. The key here is that the FA enforced some common sense guideline for stowing overhead gear. So as many have commented, enforcement is key to make any boarding process smooth.

And as to comments about blowing things out of proportion, I've taken 8 trips so far this year, and I don't recall seeing any small children on any of the flights. So is this really going to be such a HUGE problem that it is going to send droves of elites away from United? Are those who don't like this change being hyperbolic because in the end of the thousands of flights a day, how many flights are families with small children really on??? Yeah maybe flights to HNL, or MCO, but really isn't this just a fly speck for the rest of the network?

CopperSteve

Couldn't agree more on all points. When I board as GS, often the GA is asking for Group 1 before my BP is even scanned. A first-world problem, for sure, but the above point that this policy is useless without a gap before calling the next group is spot-on.

1015-1k

Same here. Often times I can't make it around the herd to get to the scanner before the GA's on to Group 1. Then it just looks like i'm trying to cut to the front of the Group 1 batch that's been queueing for a while.

The point is that UA needs to learn and implement the concept of PRE-boarding. Otherwise, just adjust the group numbers so that the words "Group 1" are used when the actual first group of people are invited on to the plane, not with the 4th group which has now just become the policy (ie... Families, then Military, then GS, then "Group 1"...).

LAXOGG

Same thing happened to my wife on her flight yesterday. She was actually pushed out of the way and yelled at by the Group 1 boarders for "butting" in line.

greg99

Perhaps my experience set is different than others, which colors my perspective on the issue.

When I would preboard with my kids, which was >5 years ago, I always had enough time to get my two kids, bags, etc. down the aisle without blocking the Premiers.

Similarly, and much more recently, I flew a bunch of times on crutches, and I was always afforded plenty of time to get down the aisle. I usually surprised the FA's when I showed up at the door (although how they couldn't hear me clomping down the jetway, I don't know).

As a result, my assumption was that the same thing would happen here.

If they're not giving parents sufficient time to get on board and situated without blocking GS/1K/Group 1, then complaints are clearly warranted.

But if they are, and the paths of the Premiers aren't actually being impeded, then I think the complaints of people here are still just whining because they're a little less special than they think they deserve.

Greg

MichaelWTravels

Who did I ask to amend the policy? I suggested that it should include 3 or 4 year olds, possibly 5 year olds. My son just turned 4 so I can't judge what it is like to board with a child older. However in reality, I'd think letting families with kids age 4 and under pre-board would be sufficient and help to speed up the process.

Whether or not families board before Group 1 is another story. With Southwest going right after Group A has always worked out just fine.

meducate

This. I know, as an earlier poster said, this is a first-world problem, but I have had altercations that nearly came to blows when trying to appropriately pre-board in front of the Group 1 queue.

It definitely is a training issue for the GAs - that all important pause between pre-boarding and boarding. It is no different then really letting those with disabilities get to the plane and seated before calling GS. They need that time and shouldn't feel rushed when they hear footsteps behind them.

JBord

I think you've hit on something. The boarding process has changed so much and so many times from 5 years ago. Today, UA can barely get everyone on board when they start 30-45 minutes before push back. That was not the case in the pmUA days (I flew pmCO too, but not frequently enough to comment there).

While there's some self-important whining here about status, for me it's an issue as a business traveler, regardless of status. I see no possible way this speeds up the boarding process. That's bad for me as a business traveler. Secondarily, I'm often running from a plane to get to a meeting, especially when the flight is delayed. It helps tremendously to get my proper-sized bag in the bin above my seat.

When I travel for leisure, as I assume most of these families are, I care much less about these little delays. For many of us, it's not that we think we're too important for this change, it's that UA is making a change that benefits a small % of passengers while likely having a negative impact to a larger % of passengers.

Not all flights, not every time I fly. But it will happen.

I've made my position clear in this thread, and I'm not an important 1K. I'm a simple Gold, I understand my position and my value to UA, and I don't want special treatment. Just fair and equal. My reason for travel and my comfort and convenience is not less important just because I don't have a 2 year old with me.

fastair

I would guess that the AFA would require the pay of the inflight staff to start earlier if boarding started earlier.

dank0014

Not really sure it's a training issue though. One of the agents I was speaking with casually (granted I haven't physically seen the procedures book so I can't verify the info below except to share what I was told) calls for them to start the boarding process (disabled / GS included) at X minutes before the flight departure, dependent upon type of aircraft. That is the time we have printed on our boarding passes.

So what UA considers pre-board isn't really pre-board. Given this, the agents are just following the procedures outlined by management. They built in the boarding time buffer with the pre-board. The process is disabilities until visual clearance of disabled passengers in the jetbridge, then military/GS, and once they scan their passes and not visible to begin Group 1, though most GAs will just start Group 1 after they scan the GS passes to avoid that awkward pause of looking at the G1 people about to run them over (think Black Friday of customers waiting outside the doors!).

mmack

This is the best idea I've seen in this thread!!! Doesn't have to be too expensive: say $20 per individual.

Hawaiian Airlines lets one pay a bit extra for "preferred access" which means one boards after their elites, but before "general boarding"

UA Insider

Hi everyone,

We have been reading your comments on this thread, as well as in private messages that you’ve sent to us here on FlyerTalk. We have a few key points that we would like to address that hopefully capture the majority of feedback you have provided.

To begin, we have work under way to improve the boarding process, based on ongoing customer feedback and the results of our recent tests. Bringing back pre-boarding for families with small children, while not a specific element of the new boarding process, was recommended by employees and customers alike.

As far as additional background on this change, our decision in 2012 to have families board with their boarding groups was based in part on feedback that the boarding process was too cumbersome and that it needed streamlining. While the new gate layout and the reduced number of groups made the process at most gates more orderly, it became clear that families traveling with very young children were stressed with holding up the line while juggling strollers, diaper bags and carry-on bags while looking after their children. Putting ourselves in their shoes, it was clear that they weren’t starting their journeys with us on a positive note, as our boarding procedures created additional anxiety for them. By offering families the ability to pre-board while the aircraft is still empty, we’re able to give them a clear path to their seats so they can get settled without the pressure of feeling like holding up the rest of the flight. The new process also has the benefit of reducing the individual micro-delays – the stressed families who may be blocking Group 5 boarding in the jet-bridge or who may need time to secure a car seat in the cabin – that can result in departure delays for all customers.

Regarding feedback specific to Global Services customers, we know pre-boarding isn’t always smooth, and we’re working on improvements that will provide an easier way to pre-board without having to push through the crowd of customers in Boarding Group 1. We’re also working on improvements specific to boarding group management, with a focus on improving the experience for 1Ks as well.

Thank you for your feedback and we look forward to providing new updates regarding the boarding process in the near future.

-UA Insider

demkr

thank you

Bonehead

Thank you for the feedback as well. One comment:

Please just make sure that the GAs clearly announce and enforce the rule that the children must be two or younger. That alone will assuage many of our fears, I believe.

Baze

And actually make it a pre-board by WAITING before calling others to board or they will just do as UA Insider says, clog things up when there are people directly behind them, only they will clog it up sooner in the process.