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}
Sep 27, 2019, 12:43 pm
#2791
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,362
AVP-ORD from a few days ago:
"Families with children, and anyone needing a little extra time."
"GS."
"Group 1 is now invited to board."
"Families with children, and anyone needing a little extra time."
"GS."
"Group 1 is now invited to board."
Sep 27, 2019, 12:46 pm
#2792
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,220
Sep 27, 2019, 12:47 pm
#2793
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,362
Sep 27, 2019, 2:14 pm
#2794
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: 67,146
I was the only apparent 1k on my flight to BTV today. Given it was IAD A gates, I was surprised the GA called 1k and waited..
No one else boarded when called, and the FA stopped by to welcome me at a 1k before doing the beverage service (didn't see her doing so for anyone else, fwiw). At least the GA gave me time to board before calling G1 (which had plenty of pax) and the FA offered a PDB even though it was an E145 (I passed; too early in the day and too much good drinking at the destination to have anything onboard).
No one else boarded when called, and the FA stopped by to welcome me at a 1k before doing the beverage service (didn't see her doing so for anyone else, fwiw). At least the GA gave me time to board before calling G1 (which had plenty of pax) and the FA offered a PDB even though it was an E145 (I passed; too early in the day and too much good drinking at the destination to have anything onboard).
Sep 27, 2019, 3:09 pm
#2795
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,956
You got lucky. Usually at AVP they move right from GS to Groups 1 & 2 together. I’ve never had them call 1K since they started 1K pre-boarding.
Sep 27, 2019, 11:58 pm
#2796
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
Sep 28, 2019, 12:05 am
#2797
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,362
Oct 14, 2019, 4:02 pm
#2798
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: DEN/OGG
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 1,482
Definitely retraining needed in Denver. Free for all and no lanes setup either. UA 182 to FRA
Oct 22, 2019, 3:58 am
#2799
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 38
Needs retraining in ORD. Watched as GA allowed a random guy in Group 3 board during pre-board. He was not GS (obv), military, handicapped, and he was travelling alone. Just walked right up to preboard. Fake ti til you make it i guess. LOL
Oct 22, 2019, 5:44 am
#2800
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,976
Sunday at LAS for the ORD redeye:
"We are going to begin pre-boarding with customers who need assistance, military, GS, children under 2 and 1K members" - didn't even take a breath. It was a cluster, as everyone started running up. Even the ones who needed assistance were behind other pre-boarders.
"We are going to begin pre-boarding with customers who need assistance, military, GS, children under 2 and 1K members" - didn't even take a breath. It was a cluster, as everyone started running up. Even the ones who needed assistance were behind other pre-boarders.
Oct 22, 2019, 6:22 am
#2801
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,362
And it's not even that it costs extra, or is even difficult to follow.
This almost sounds like the GAs are doing this DELIBERATELY, either to show their disdain toward us or UA.....or BOTH.
Oct 22, 2019, 7:52 am
#2802
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: KEWR
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold, Hyatt Plat, National Exec, GE/Nexus
Posts: 501
HNL-EWR: After announcing disabled pax, there was a long wait. Group 1 just started filing into the jetway section (where the scanner is) without any prompting. Us 1Ks had to push through the scrum as a DYKWIA to the front of the line.
IAH-SCL: Gate agent announced families with children in both English and Spanish. Then he announced Group 1 ... a near riot started from about 20 of us - standing in front of him and clearly visible we're waiting - reminding him about 1Ks. Then he quickly admitted his mistake and called for 1K. Thankfully the first person in line on Group 1 didn't start moving. A group DYKWIA moment.
IAH-SCL: Gate agent announced families with children in both English and Spanish. Then he announced Group 1 ... a near riot started from about 20 of us - standing in front of him and clearly visible we're waiting - reminding him about 1Ks. Then he quickly admitted his mistake and called for 1K. Thankfully the first person in line on Group 1 didn't start moving. A group DYKWIA moment.
Oct 22, 2019, 8:09 am
#2803
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: TPA
Programs: UA Global Services 3MM, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 2,927
Oct 22, 2019, 9:52 am
#2804
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Cleveland, OH
Programs: UA-GS 1MM), Hertz Pres Circle, Starriott Titanium)
Posts: 1,966
BOM-EWR a few days ago:
Calling all GS (half the plane gets up). A handful of GS plus dozens of people on the same business trip.
Calling all 1Ks (second half of plane gets up)
Now boarding first class passengers.
Meanwhile all three groups are milling about in a "holding pen"... till boarding finally actually starts 30 min later with a stampede onto the plane.
Calling all GS (half the plane gets up). A handful of GS plus dozens of people on the same business trip.
Calling all 1Ks (second half of plane gets up)
Now boarding first class passengers.
Meanwhile all three groups are milling about in a "holding pen"... till boarding finally actually starts 30 min later with a stampede onto the plane.
Oct 23, 2019, 9:46 am
#2805
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,396
Either MMers added to Pre-boarders or a DIY agent?
Yesterday at SFO F11, UA 291, 772 for IAD.
After GS, agent invited “our MM fliers and 1K members” to board.
When I boarded as a lowly BG 1, I asked the agent if preboarding MMers was something new. She replied that it was given to MMers recently.
I clearly missed the memo on this but will try it at IAD on my return flight and see how far I get
After GS, agent invited “our MM fliers and 1K members” to board.
When I boarded as a lowly BG 1, I asked the agent if preboarding MMers was something new. She replied that it was given to MMers recently.
I clearly missed the memo on this but will try it at IAD on my return flight and see how far I get