Jan 19, 2017, 11:05 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Source: United Boarding Process
We encourage you to make yourself comfortable while you wait for your group to be called, and we’ll let you know when we’re ready for you to board. Late arriving customers in Groups 1 and 2 are welcome to continue boarding through the blue lane at any time.
* Customers who have purchased a Basic Economy ticket will be in the last boarding group, except for Premier members, Chase Cardmembers of qualifying cards and Star Alliance Gold members, who will still receive their priority boarding.
================================================== ==============================
Pre Sept 2018 process
Pre-Boarding
General boarding (Window Seats, then Middle Seats, then Aisle)
Customers who have purchased a Basic Economy ticket will be in the last boarding group, with the exception of Premier members, Chase Cardmembers of qualifying cards and Star Alliance Gold members, who will still receive their priority boarding.
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)
Previous thread: United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [Revised, May 2013]
New changes (effective 18 Sept 2018)
You will see some new boarding lane signs in the gate area that will guide you through the boarding process. There will now be two lanes that are color coded : to begin, Group 1 will board through the blue lane and Group 2 will board through the green lane. The remaining Groups 3-5 will then board through the green lane when called, and Groups 1 and 2 can continue to board through the blue lane .We encourage you to make yourself comfortable while you wait for your group to be called, and we’ll let you know when we’re ready for you to board. Late arriving customers in Groups 1 and 2 are welcome to continue boarding through the blue lane at any time.
Boarding groups
Pre-boarding
- Unaccompanied minors
- Customers with disabilities
- Active members of the military
- United Global Services® members
- Families traveling with children age 2 and younger
- Premier® 1K® members
Group 1
- Premier Platinum members
- Premier Gold members
- Star Alliance™ Gold members
- Customers seated in premium cabins: United Polaris®, United First® and United Business®
Group 2
- Premier Silver members
- Star Alliance Silver members
- Customers who have purchased Premier Access® or Priority Boarding
- United℠ Explorer, Club, Presidential Plus℠ and Awards Cardmembers
Groups 3 – 5
- Economy Plus®
- United Economy®
- Basic Economy*
* Customers who have purchased a Basic Economy ticket will be in the last boarding group, except for Premier members, Chase Cardmembers of qualifying cards and Star Alliance Gold members, who will still receive their priority boarding.
Pre Sept 2018 process
Pre-Boarding
- Unaccompanied minors
- Customers with disabilities
- Uniformed members of the U.S. military
- Families traveling with children age two and younger
- United Global Services® members
- Group 1: Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, Business/Polaris Business, and First/Polaris First.
- Group 2: Premier Gold, Star Gold, Premier Silver, Star Silver, MileagePlus Presidential Plus, Club, Explorer and Awards, purchased Premier Access
General boarding (Window Seats, then Middle Seats, then Aisle)
- Group 3 - Window Seats
- Group 4 - Middle & Aisle Seats (Aisle Seats on UA Express)
- Group 5 - Basic Economy
Customers who have purchased a Basic Economy ticket will be in the last boarding group, with the exception of Premier members, Chase Cardmembers of qualifying cards and Star Alliance Gold members, who will still receive their priority boarding.
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)
Previous thread: United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [Revised, May 2013]
United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [2016-forward]{Archive}
Oct 10, 2018, 10:53 am
#2086
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,231
1. say "no" without an excuse, or give you attitude, then contact 1K voice and write them up
2. say "I am not aware of a new boarding process", then contact 1K voice and ask they be given the proper training
YYZ has had some of the more troublesome contractors over the years and if they can follow the new process (which they do), then any outstation should be able to do the same.
Oct 10, 2018, 11:39 am
#2087
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New York City
Programs: UA GS 1MM
Posts: 390
SLC today :
1) Disabilities
2) Families
3) GS and 1K together
4) Military personel
Group1
Group2
Group3 ( all boarding through group 1 lane)
#fail
1) Disabilities
2) Families
3) GS and 1K together
4) Military personel
Group1
Group2
Group3 ( all boarding through group 1 lane)
#fail
Oct 10, 2018, 12:35 pm
#2088
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,803
10/4/18
ORD-DEN Gate B9
BG 1 and BG2 lanes packed 20 min prior to departure with the area in front of the podium/desk packed with 20+ people standing (I was one). They called Disabilities, Military and families together and then paused. The podium agent than said "What are all you people waiting on?" and pointed at the group in which I was standing. Someone said "We're pre-board" and she said over the speaker "Raise your hand if your 1K or Global". We all did and she said "Oh my God, this is never going to work. Why don't you all form a new line next to the group one line and we will get you boarded next.". It was a total CF and this is at a hub no less.
ORD-DEN Gate B9
BG 1 and BG2 lanes packed 20 min prior to departure with the area in front of the podium/desk packed with 20+ people standing (I was one). They called Disabilities, Military and families together and then paused. The podium agent than said "What are all you people waiting on?" and pointed at the group in which I was standing. Someone said "We're pre-board" and she said over the speaker "Raise your hand if your 1K or Global". We all did and she said "Oh my God, this is never going to work. Why don't you all form a new line next to the group one line and we will get you boarded next.". It was a total CF and this is at a hub no less.
Oct 10, 2018, 2:09 pm
#2089
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,026
Then UA 450 back Tuesday evening there was no pre board call. First boarding was Group 1. Go figure.
Oct 10, 2018, 2:15 pm
#2090
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,026
SJC is much more convenient for me and since parking at SFO is a nightmare I was shifting from the SFO non stops to this. BUT.... Crappy airplane. WiFi didn't work either way, DirecTV had issues and all in all for 5-6 hours a very uncomfortable experience. Back to the big planes for me and I told UA so much in their survey.
Oct 11, 2018, 12:49 pm
#2091
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 25
Pre boarding today ORD-DEN went flawlessly
No issues and GA announced correctly
No issues and GA announced correctly
Oct 11, 2018, 1:17 pm
#2092
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lahaina, HI & Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,403
10/4/18
ORD-DEN Gate B9
BG 1 and BG2 lanes packed 20 min prior to departure with the area in front of the podium/desk packed with 20+ people standing (I was one). They called Disabilities, Military and families together and then paused. The podium agent than said "What are all you people waiting on?" and pointed at the group in which I was standing. Someone said "We're pre-board" and she said over the speaker "Raise your hand if your 1K or Global". We all did and she said "Oh my God, this is never going to work. Why don't you all form a new line next to the group one line and we will get you boarded next.". It was a total CF and this is at a hub no less.
ORD-DEN Gate B9
BG 1 and BG2 lanes packed 20 min prior to departure with the area in front of the podium/desk packed with 20+ people standing (I was one). They called Disabilities, Military and families together and then paused. The podium agent than said "What are all you people waiting on?" and pointed at the group in which I was standing. Someone said "We're pre-board" and she said over the speaker "Raise your hand if your 1K or Global". We all did and she said "Oh my God, this is never going to work. Why don't you all form a new line next to the group one line and we will get you boarded next.". It was a total CF and this is at a hub no less.
Oct 11, 2018, 2:51 pm
#2093
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Antonio, USA
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 596
Today, 10/11/18, 0615AM BWI-IAH, GA called for the usual preboards, but completely skipped GS.
Oct 11, 2018, 3:18 pm
#2094
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,148
Got to my IAD-SFO flight late so missed the preboarding; worked out fine. SFO-SNA was the first fllight since the change that I was actually there for the call... They called disabilities, GS, then military, then pax with kids under 2, then 1Ks. Gave each sufficient time, fwiw. The group 1 line was insane, as expected; I was surprised there weren't more 1ks, actually, but maybe some were in the group 1 line.
Oct 11, 2018, 6:27 pm
#2096
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,513
Today on my flight they called disabilities, then military, then families with infants then GS and 1K together. 
Oct 11, 2018, 7:24 pm
#2097
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: United GS, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 109
Today in SAN they read the script exactly correct and had good pauses between pre board groups.
Oct 11, 2018, 7:43 pm
#2098
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SFO, TPE, HNL
Programs: UA GS 4MM, RCC life member (paid), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, CLEAR
Posts: 1,824
Yesterday in PHL I observed the first time a GA conducting boarding correctly. It was the last flight PHL-SFO and delayed for near 2 hours. The GA did the following:
1.-10 min: She asked everyone who plan to preboard to move to her right (left side facing the gate), where there was more space than the other side, and was not blocked by the two boarding lanes.
2. -3 min: She described the preboarding order and said that you preboard after you hear your group is called.
3. -1 min: She began to call disabled, pause, and as the last of the disabled entered the gate she called military and GS and family.
4. The family boarding was slow, I decided to let a couple anxious parents with children to move before me. The GA did not call 1K until we (GS and family) all into the jet bridge, and must have paused some further, before calling the 1Ks.
This was the most orderly preboarding and it was clear that the GA knew the potential problems and prevented them by NOT CALLING 1K until the others pre-boarded. I hope all GAs will learn to do this.
1.-10 min: She asked everyone who plan to preboard to move to her right (left side facing the gate), where there was more space than the other side, and was not blocked by the two boarding lanes.
2. -3 min: She described the preboarding order and said that you preboard after you hear your group is called.
3. -1 min: She began to call disabled, pause, and as the last of the disabled entered the gate she called military and GS and family.
4. The family boarding was slow, I decided to let a couple anxious parents with children to move before me. The GA did not call 1K until we (GS and family) all into the jet bridge, and must have paused some further, before calling the 1Ks.
This was the most orderly preboarding and it was clear that the GA knew the potential problems and prevented them by NOT CALLING 1K until the others pre-boarded. I hope all GAs will learn to do this.
Oct 12, 2018, 3:08 pm
#2099
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Virginia and Vitoria, ES Brazil
Programs: UA 1K, Million Miler, *G, JJ, AD, Global Entry, CLEAR, H.O.G. Life Member
Posts: 1,407
GRU-IAD on Wed. Gate was downstairs in Terminal 3 meaning we were bused to the plane. Not an ideal situation to start. Downstairs gates don't have much room, so there was just a lane to one side marked "1" and a lane to the other side marked "2". Brazilain law requires them the board disabled, families with young children and seniors over 60 first, so there was also a line next to Lane 1 for those people. (could have used that based on age, but hey, I'm 1K!) I checked with a GA and was told to just stand in between the two lanes in front of the counter. Did get to preboard the bus. 
Oct 13, 2018, 9:02 am
#2100
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Houston TX
Programs: UN 1K MM, Marriott-LT TitanElite, Hyatt Glob; HH-Gold
Posts: 74
Interesting that you say this....a year ago, I was flying through with my step son, who was on a separate ticket. I asked the Club Room agent to add him to the 1st Class Upgrade list, and she told me that he had to be booked on the same ticket to be eligible to upgrade. Again, you can't get anywhere arguing. Still trying to be polite, I asked, "Oh... did the policy just change?" "It's always been that way. All flyers must be on the same ticket to be eligible to upgrade." "Hmmm, I guess I'm confused because I've done it before." "It's not possible." So, I just walked away.