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.
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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}
Nov 21, 2018, 11:05 am
#2236
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: GEG/DEN/ATL
Programs: UA 1K, TK E+, AS MVPG, SPG&Marriott Plat, HHD, Hertz PC
Posts: 407
Just needed to vent that as a 1K on pre-thanksgiving day half the flight is either disabled and taking the miracle flight, or has children...
Nov 21, 2018, 11:24 am
#2237
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: 42,212
That person is on every EWR/PBI and EWR/FLL flight - they must have a billion miles by now. Maybe one day someone will play the roll of Benny Hinn and whack them upside the head while screaming "demons out! it's a miracle!!"
Nov 21, 2018, 11:55 am
#2238
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,165
It was a pleasant pre-holiday surprise (I know, I know, Camadaian Thanksgiving is different so not actually a holiday in the origin city...bit still... I was expecting a certain level of transborder migration)
Nov 21, 2018, 4:43 pm
#2239
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: BOS/SIN
Programs: DL PM, OZ Diamond Plus, BA Silver
Posts: 1,803
BOS-SFO: Automated announcements for preboarding (disabled / military / GS / families / 1K) played in order but with no breaks in between groups. Surprisingly few GS/1Ks, though it was a Sunday morning flight so maybe that was why.
SFO-LAX: Preboards called in order and with plenty of time between groups. Also the rest of boarding was surprisingly orderly, unlike what one normally sees at EWR
SFO-LAX: Preboards called in order and with plenty of time between groups. Also the rest of boarding was surprisingly orderly, unlike what one normally sees at EWR
Nov 21, 2018, 8:09 pm
#2240
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Nov 21, 2018, 8:18 pm
#2241
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,467
Nov 21, 2018, 9:08 pm
#2242
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Denver
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 222
Using my advanced powers of deduction, I’m guessing you’re platinum. From what I can see, the big benefit of platinum is getting up to 8 companions in E+ vs. the 1 you get as a gold. While the new boarding process is a decline in experience for platinums, I’m curious how many have had an issue getting overhead bin space. I’ve always thought that gold should get 2-3 E+ companions.
Nov 21, 2018, 10:01 pm
#2243
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,514
Using my advanced powers of deduction, I’m guessing you’re platinum. From what I can see, the big benefit of platinum is getting up to 8 companions in E+ vs. the 1 you get as a gold. While the new boarding process is a decline in experience for platinums, I’m curious how many have had an issue getting overhead bin space. I’ve always thought that gold should get 2-3 E+ companions.
) is SE - top published elite level on AC, so he would get *G when traveling on *A flights. Assume he rides the front often on UA, hence his comment about is/was BG1; otherwise, *G was BG2, and is now BG1.
Nov 23, 2018, 1:13 pm
#2244
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,347
Using my advanced powers of deduction, I’m guessing you’re platinum. From what I can see, the big benefit of platinum is getting up to 8 companions in E+ vs. the 1 you get as a gold. While the new boarding process is a decline in experience for platinums, I’m curious how many have had an issue getting overhead bin space. I’ve always thought that gold should get 2-3 E+ companions.
I don't fly UA "often", but I'm always up front.
I actually have two flights tomorrow if the SDC gods don't open D space on a non-stop (hopes are low given they're J0 or F0 or whatever the top bucket is).
So I'll get to witness boarding a few more times.
If AA had an equivalent deal on this trip, I would have booked them, solely over the boarding process.
Alas, when booking J one week out, you take what you can get.
Nov 24, 2018, 7:51 am
#2245
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 957
Using my advanced powers of deduction, I’m guessing you’re platinum. From what I can see, the big benefit of platinum is getting up to 8 companions in E+ vs. the 1 you get as a gold. While the new boarding process is a decline in experience for platinums, I’m curious how many have had an issue getting overhead bin space. I’ve always thought that gold should get 2-3 E+ companions.
Agree that the primary advantage of platinum is now the E+. RPU mean very little.
Nov 25, 2018, 6:01 am
#2246
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: NUE
Programs: BAEC Silver, FB Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, SK Diamond, ITA Volare Club Executive, TK Elite
Posts: 365
I had 6 flights (1x EZE, 1x MAN, 2x EWR, 2x IAH, ) this week and boarding worked like a charm compared to BA. The brexit people at MAN even honored active US military.
Nov 27, 2018, 2:23 pm
#2247
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,195
New process not observed on UA 328 (HNL-SFO) Sunday night (11/25). They went right from preboarding those with disabilities to First Class cabin.
Nov 27, 2018, 2:41 pm
#2248
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: SYD, CBR, BDL
Programs: UA 1K, VA Platinum
Posts: 1,198
This week had new process done perfectly with proper pauses between preboard groups in SYD, IAH, MSY, and IAH again.
Nov 28, 2018, 11:53 am
#2249
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
DFW, IAH, AKL and SFO all worked as it should. Looks like they (mostly) have finally gotten it down.
Nov 28, 2018, 12:28 pm
#2250
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,324
It's working well 95% of the time for my flights. There was a kerfuffle last week EWR-FLL when a guy at the front of the Zone 1 line was miffed that 1K's stormed the gate when 1K was called.
I'm not sure if he was 1K in the Zone 1 line, whether he thought 1K was Group 1, or whether he was unaware of the new process, but two guys walked swiftly in front of him. He did the "there's a line here" and those two guys turned around and said "pre-board 1K is through the gate area", and that was that. Kinda illustrates the possible confusion between Group 1, 1K, Zone 1 and is another argument for those two new lanes being A & B, but it will sort itself out...
I'm not sure if he was 1K in the Zone 1 line, whether he thought 1K was Group 1, or whether he was unaware of the new process, but two guys walked swiftly in front of him. He did the "there's a line here" and those two guys turned around and said "pre-board 1K is through the gate area", and that was that. Kinda illustrates the possible confusion between Group 1, 1K, Zone 1 and is another argument for those two new lanes being A & B, but it will sort itself out...