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}
Apr 13, 2021, 1:11 pm
#3136
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ICN
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 224
UA1899 IAH-ORD. Gate agent had group 1 and group 2 line up in their respective lanes. I pre-boarded but it didn’t look like back to front boarding from a quick glance. No mention of boarding by row either before the flight. Maybe some are starting a day or two early.
Apr 13, 2021, 7:55 pm
#3137
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,115
I guess the main difference between these airlines and UA would be fewer elites, no CPU's and - specifically for SQ - in general bigger planes. This mostly negates the need to protect the class-specific overhead bin space. Additionally, as is also the norm for airlines aiming for more than 3 stars out of 5, both airlines include lounge access for premium pax both domestic (F for JL) and INTL, so there is less of a need to hang out at the gate area.
Apr 14, 2021, 12:07 am
#3138
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Mileage Plus Global Services 2MM
Posts: 1,201
COVID has pushed me to do something I used to avoid at all costs...... check a bag. I hated the perceived dead time waiting at the carousel for my bag. Enter COVID and my desire to stay totally away from the scrum and board last. Now I check a bag and carry on my briefcase that fits under the seat so no issue with overhead bins. While it adds some time to the back end of my trip, it really reduced my angst over pre-boarding just to get an overhead space and then have 2/3 of the plane walk past my aisle seat while adjusting their chin straps (err, masks).
Apr 14, 2021, 8:27 am
#3139
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: CHS
Posts: 2,246
Still COVID-style boarding by row numbers at CHS this morning. Agent actually called the rear of the plane before adding in F can board at any time.
Apr 14, 2021, 10:24 am
#3140
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,167
Apr 14, 2021, 1:54 pm
#3141
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Programs: UA 1K, UA .53 MM, Marriott Gold, Nexus, GE, TSA Pre, Hertz PC
Posts: 581
Boarding Order
Situation: A General Member books paid F from SFO-ORD-TVC. SFO-ORD is a two cabin aircraft and ORD-TVC is a single cabin aircraft.
Question: Which group does the GM board with on each leg?
(Assume not traveling with children, not military, no disability, not traveling with any companions, etc...)
Question: Which group does the GM board with on each leg?
(Assume not traveling with children, not military, no disability, not traveling with any companions, etc...)
Apr 14, 2021, 2:48 pm
#3142
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
ORD-TVC, there will be no F boarding called, so board when eligible, likely by row.
Apr 14, 2021, 8:22 pm
#3143
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,026
(Knocking on wood) Been traveling monthly throughout this whole thing and have managed to avoid the virus. I like to think checking my bag was a small price to pay for the opportunity to comfortably board last and minimize my exposure to probably a few festering people
Apr 14, 2021, 8:42 pm
#3144
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,722
I would be happy to board last (as is the case with C/F overseas) but only if my overhead space was guaranteed. Never seems to be a problem overseas but unfortunately not the case here.
my motto is never check a bag when I can avoid it, and so far that has meant I have never had a bag lost or delayed in 3 decades of business travel. IMO There is no reason to check ever unless it’s a ski vacation or I have liquids that I absolutely must bring.
my motto is never check a bag when I can avoid it, and so far that has meant I have never had a bag lost or delayed in 3 decades of business travel. IMO There is no reason to check ever unless it’s a ski vacation or I have liquids that I absolutely must bring.
Apr 14, 2021, 11:48 pm
#3145
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: IAH
Programs: UA1K, AS Gold 75K, HH Diamond, MR Titanium LT Gold, IHG Platinum, HZ PC, CLEAR
Posts: 341
It's not just overhead space that gets taken.
United cleans and disinfects all seats because of Covid. But if you don't board early, other pax touch, sit in or put their crap on your seat, so the seats are no longer clean.
This Monday I was in 5E on a 753. A guy assigned to 5F first sat in 6B. When a couple ticketed in 6A and B arrived, the guy moved to 4B.
I have even had Goldilocks sitting in my Polaris suite when I board last, usually with entitled families choosing to sit together and forcing me to move.
This behavior was rare pre-Covid but I now see it all the time, even in nearly full flights.
Is this some new Covid Entitlement Syndrome?
Apr 15, 2021, 12:07 am
#3146
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, Total Wine & More Reserve
Posts: 4,528
.
It's not just overhead space that gets taken.
United cleans and disinfects all seats because of Covid. But if you don't board early, other pax touch, sit in or put their crap on your seat, so the seats are no longer clean.
This Monday I was in 5E on a 753. A guy assigned to 5F first sat in 6B. When a couple ticketed in 6A and B arrived, the guy moved to 4B.
I have even had Goldilocks sitting in my Polaris suite when I board last, usually with entitled families choosing to sit together and forcing me to move.
This behavior was rare pre-Covid but I now see it all the time, even in nearly full flights.
Is this some new Covid Entitlement Syndrome?
It's not just overhead space that gets taken.
United cleans and disinfects all seats because of Covid. But if you don't board early, other pax touch, sit in or put their crap on your seat, so the seats are no longer clean.
This Monday I was in 5E on a 753. A guy assigned to 5F first sat in 6B. When a couple ticketed in 6A and B arrived, the guy moved to 4B.
I have even had Goldilocks sitting in my Polaris suite when I board last, usually with entitled families choosing to sit together and forcing me to move.
This behavior was rare pre-Covid but I now see it all the time, even in nearly full flights.
Is this some new Covid Entitlement Syndrome?
I've probably been asked if I'd be willing to move by couples travelling together at least half of my flights. Sometimes I'm willing to accommodate, but I also have no problem politely declining when I don't like the seat being offered up in exchange.
Doesn't help that I also have tended to wait to board last during these times.
Apr 15, 2021, 9:25 am
#3147
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: SFO
Programs: UA
Posts: 200
Well, this has made the news everywhere:
United to resume pre-pandemic boarding process
United Airlines Returns To Pre-Pandemic Boarding Policy
Even United's own page didn't mention COVID boarding process anymore:
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...g-process.html
Could we get a few reports from FT-ers who happen to fly today?
United to resume pre-pandemic boarding process
United Airlines Returns To Pre-Pandemic Boarding Policy
Even United's own page didn't mention COVID boarding process anymore:
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...g-process.html
Could we get a few reports from FT-ers who happen to fly today?
Apr 15, 2021, 11:10 am
#3148
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: SAN
Programs: DL DM, UA 1K, Marriott Ambassador, HH Diamond
Posts: 3
Apr 15, 2021, 11:21 am
#3149
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
.
I have even had Goldilocks sitting in my Polaris suite when I board last, usually with entitled families choosing to sit together and forcing me to move.
This behavior was rare pre-Covid but I now see it all the time, even in nearly full flights.
Is this some new Covid Entitlement Syndrome?
I have even had Goldilocks sitting in my Polaris suite when I board last, usually with entitled families choosing to sit together and forcing me to move.
This behavior was rare pre-Covid but I now see it all the time, even in nearly full flights.
Is this some new Covid Entitlement Syndrome?
Now that I'm fully vaccinated - I shall not put up with that again.
Apr 15, 2021, 12:31 pm
#3150
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: 42,224
I've seen it a couple of times now - some bad apples have decided they will poach the seat they prefer and bet you won't ask them to move because of Covid since they've already settled in and the seat is now potentially tainted. Had that happen to me on a HA and UA flight.
Now that I'm fully vaccinated - I shall not put up with that again.
Now that I'm fully vaccinated - I shall not put up with that again.
Everyone really needs to be responsible for sanitizing their own space and not trusting airline employees or contractors to do it properly to my own standards.