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}
Nov 17, 2019, 11:11 pm
#2836
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: HND
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K
Posts: 1,230
IOW, you were all DYKWIA's. He was just a little worse.
As a GS, I've really gotten sick of the 1Ks all gate-licing like there's no tomorrow. Every time now, it seems like the 4(!) categories that come before IKs all have to wade through the throng of 1Ks blocking the gate. It's really obscene.
As a GS, I've really gotten sick of the 1Ks all gate-licing like there's no tomorrow. Every time now, it seems like the 4(!) categories that come before IKs all have to wade through the throng of 1Ks blocking the gate. It's really obscene.
Nov 17, 2019, 11:50 pm
#2837
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
IOW, you were all DYKWIA's. He was just a little worse.
As a GS, I've really gotten sick of the 1Ks all gate-licing like there's no tomorrow. Every time now, it seems like the 4(!) categories that come before IKs all have to wade through the throng of 1Ks blocking the gate. It's really obscene.
As a GS, I've really gotten sick of the 1Ks all gate-licing like there's no tomorrow. Every time now, it seems like the 4(!) categories that come before IKs all have to wade through the throng of 1Ks blocking the gate. It's really obscene.
Nov 17, 2019, 11:51 pm
#2838
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
IMO, pre-boarding for everyone and their moms is a little out of hands. Way too many categories, and really don't see why families (who slow down everyone after them) should get pre-board.
Nov 18, 2019, 12:12 am
#2839
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: DYKWIA, But I'm a "Diamond Guest" UA 1K/2MM
Posts: 2,264
I don't so much mind them having a similar benefit. I resent them abusing that benefit to the inconvenience of people who have limited mobility.
Nov 18, 2019, 9:54 am
#2840
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: TPA
Programs: UA Global Services 3MM, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 2,927
I will say this at the risk of being flamed, but GS and 1K should not be lumped together as they board separately. As I said earlier, I have no issue with multiple pre-board groups, as long as the proscribed order is followed, which it is most of the time. When I was at LHR last week they had separate lanes for GS, 1K, and then the BGs; this should be easy enough to implement in other airports.
Nov 18, 2019, 10:15 am
#2841
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,812
This. When you try to make everyone a VIP no one is a VIP.
As I said upthread, it's amazing how many group 1 boarders have no clue what a 1K is and board when pre-boarding for 1Ks is called. And the GAs do nothing to stop them usually. Time to go with the AA system of 15,000 boarding groups and giving everyone their own group I guess. (PS - I think AA uses 9 BGs).
-RM
As I said upthread, it's amazing how many group 1 boarders have no clue what a 1K is and board when pre-boarding for 1Ks is called. And the GAs do nothing to stop them usually. Time to go with the AA system of 15,000 boarding groups and giving everyone their own group I guess. (PS - I think AA uses 9 BGs).
-RM
Nov 18, 2019, 10:21 am
#2842
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: UA GS ,QF Plat
Posts: 686
Assuming there will always be categories of some kind, my annoyance with the current boarding groups 4 and 6 is the people in them should know how to help the boarding process not hinder it. I can be equally irritated with a GS who stands way off the front then pushes through as I can with a gaggle of 1k's ( not sure of the correct collective noun) who choke up the front of line knowing there are potentially 5 groups in front of them that they are slowing down.My strategy is to look at the layout of the gate knowing some are horrendous, and pick the most efficient ,least disruptive route to the podium when my number is called.
Nov 18, 2019, 10:55 am
#2843
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: UA AU (ex 10+ year 1k) 1.5MM, AS Newbie, HH ex Dia
Posts: 337
Nov 18, 2019, 11:14 am
#2844
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,551
I can be equally irritated with a GS who stands way off the front then pushes through as I can with a gaggle of 1k's ( not sure of the correct collective noun) who choke up the front of line knowing there are potentially 5 groups in front of them that they are slowing down.My strategy is to look at the layout of the gate knowing some are horrendous, and pick the most efficient ,least disruptive route to the podium when my number is called.
Nov 18, 2019, 4:23 pm
#2846
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,113
IOW, you were all DYKWIA's. He was just a little worse.
As a GS, I've really gotten sick of the 1Ks all gate-licing like there's no tomorrow. Every time now, it seems like the 4(!) categories that come before IKs all have to wade through the throng of 1Ks blocking the gate. It's really obscene.
As a GS, I've really gotten sick of the 1Ks all gate-licing like there's no tomorrow. Every time now, it seems like the 4(!) categories that come before IKs all have to wade through the throng of 1Ks blocking the gate. It's really obscene.
Nov 18, 2019, 5:50 pm
#2847
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SFO, TPE, HNL
Programs: UA GS 4MM, RCC life member (paid), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, CLEAR
Posts: 1,825
I will say this at the risk of being flamed, but GS and 1K should not be lumped together as they board separately. As I said earlier, I have no issue with multiple pre-board groups, as long as the proscribed order is followed, which it is most of the time. When I was at LHR last week they had separate lanes for GS, 1K, and then the BGs; this should be easy enough to implement in other airports.
Nov 18, 2019, 7:14 pm
#2848
Suspended
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 821
Just do what I do.... I just stick out my tongue at them
Nov 18, 2019, 7:16 pm
#2849
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: 42,321
The current signs could be replaced with digital versions while keeping the simplified two lane setup and could show the following:
Global Services - Premier 1K
then change to
Group 1 - Group 2
then change to
Priority Access - Group 3
then change to
Priority Access - Group 4
then change to
Priority Access - Group 5
Global Services - Premier 1K
then change to
Group 1 - Group 2
then change to
Priority Access - Group 3
then change to
Priority Access - Group 4
then change to
Priority Access - Group 5
Nov 18, 2019, 7:17 pm
#2850
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,567
I will say this at the risk of being flamed, but GS and 1K should not be lumped together as they board separately. As I said earlier, I have no issue with multiple pre-board groups, as long as the proscribed order is followed, which it is most of the time. When I was at LHR last week they had separate lanes for GS, 1K, and then the BGs; this should be easy enough to implement in other airports.
Despite the fact I am mostly a Y flyer, I would like to see those in premium class (J, domestic F, PP) board ahead of BG1.