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 2, 2016, 10:53 pm
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
Talk about race to the bottom. So, I have flown 4 United flights in the last 3 days. ALL of them, EVERY SINGLE ONE went as follows:
Announcement for People who need more time
Announcement for families with Children
Announcement for Military
Announcement for Global Services
Group One...
I know that their first class cabin domestically is nothing to brag about, but you really cannot board first class with an announcement ?? So basically anyone who is group one (first, global, 1k, platinum etc)...
At least the other carriers in some way recognize the folks in their premium cabins...
Announcement for People who need more time
Announcement for families with Children
Announcement for Military
Announcement for Global Services
Group One...
I know that their first class cabin domestically is nothing to brag about, but you really cannot board first class with an announcement ?? So basically anyone who is group one (first, global, 1k, platinum etc)...
At least the other carriers in some way recognize the folks in their premium cabins...
Apr 3, 2016, 6:26 am
#108
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,617
Back when boarding wasn't the hassle it is now.
Apr 3, 2016, 11:47 am
#109
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
Before the merger, UA had two lanes for boarding. One lane was labeled "F/GS/1K/C" and everyone in those categories boarded through that lane first, and the GA's announced it as such. In the other lane, they would then board Premier Executive (*A Gold) and Premier (*A Silver). Then everyone else through that line.
Back when boarding wasn't the hassle it is now.
Back when boarding wasn't the hassle it is now.
Apr 3, 2016, 4:02 pm
#110
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SNA
Programs: UA 1MM, Global Entry, Avis President's Club
Posts: 274
A couple of data points on families boarding early
Just returned from a spring break vacation on Maui. Flew UA 417 LAX-OGG last Saturday, 3/26. After pre-boarding those with disabilities, GA announces those families with "young children" could now pre-board. Literally over half the plane pre-boarded (as you might expect for this type of flight to a vacation destination). Plane was a 738SFP and was completely full. By the time all families boarded, Groups 1 and 2 were still pretty full (with still many families who probably knew the new rules or those under 2), Group 3 was half as full as Groups 1 and 2, there were literally 3 people in Group 4 and absolutely no one in Group 5!
After that, the GA pre-boarded GS. A couple of families boarded, smirking that their pre-boarding didn't really mean much that day. Then the rest of us finally boarded, with a few folks around me grumbling about what the heck just happened.
Even though it was a completely full flight, there was plenty of space in the bins, and the plane pushed back early, so I'm not complaining that half the plane with families messed things up, but on this family-heavy route, you can see how an attempt to apply a single rule (for those under two) can have widely disparate outcomes depending on both the route, as well as how the GA makes the announcement.
Compare that with our return flight yesterday, OGG-LAX, UA 482, same plane, same full load, etc. This time, the GA made it clear that those families with children "UNDER 2" could pre-board. About 3 families did so. The rest of the boarding was as uneventful as the outbound flight, so no complaints about any of that.
My only comments are that words do indeed matter, and if the policy is for kids under 2, then there needs to be some consistency in the language from station to station, otherwise, you run the risk of really upsetting some folks who believe that their pre-boarding status ought to mean something.
After that, the GA pre-boarded GS. A couple of families boarded, smirking that their pre-boarding didn't really mean much that day. Then the rest of us finally boarded, with a few folks around me grumbling about what the heck just happened.
Even though it was a completely full flight, there was plenty of space in the bins, and the plane pushed back early, so I'm not complaining that half the plane with families messed things up, but on this family-heavy route, you can see how an attempt to apply a single rule (for those under two) can have widely disparate outcomes depending on both the route, as well as how the GA makes the announcement.
Compare that with our return flight yesterday, OGG-LAX, UA 482, same plane, same full load, etc. This time, the GA made it clear that those families with children "UNDER 2" could pre-board. About 3 families did so. The rest of the boarding was as uneventful as the outbound flight, so no complaints about any of that.
My only comments are that words do indeed matter, and if the policy is for kids under 2, then there needs to be some consistency in the language from station to station, otherwise, you run the risk of really upsetting some folks who believe that their pre-boarding status ought to mean something.
Apr 3, 2016, 4:04 pm
#111
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SNA
Programs: UA 1MM, Global Entry, Avis President's Club
Posts: 274
ETA: Yes, they boarded the families at both locations before GS and after those with disabilities. I didn't revise the wiki because I believe this was a GA mistake and not a change in policy.
Apr 3, 2016, 4:44 pm
#112
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
And technically the policy is 2 and under, not under 2. So the GA's failed both times.
Apr 3, 2016, 5:41 pm
#113
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,703
GA at IAH pulled aside GS before flight to AMS, called out names over announcement.
Apr 6, 2016, 8:00 am
#114
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, Hyatt Lifetime Glob, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,272
On March 30th, EWR-IAH, the GA barely paused between families and GS. There were, I believe, 6 of us on the plane and we were literally breathing down the necks of the two pre-boarded families. They had strollers to gate check, so we couldn't board immediately.
I do not care who boards first, but this policy doesn't work if there isn't a gap between calling families and the next group.
I do not care who boards first, but this policy doesn't work if there isn't a gap between calling families and the next group.
Apr 6, 2016, 8:11 am
#115
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,088
On March 30th, EWR-IAH, the GA barely paused between families and GS. There were, I believe, 6 of us on the plane and we were literally breathing down the necks of the two pre-boarded families. They had strollers to gate check, so we couldn't board immediately.
I do not care who boards first, but this policy doesn't work if there isn't a gap between calling families and the next group.
I do not care who boards first, but this policy doesn't work if there isn't a gap between calling families and the next group.
Apr 6, 2016, 8:49 am
#116
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, Hyatt Lifetime Glob, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,272
Apr 6, 2016, 9:03 am
#117
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion; IHG Platinum; Marriott Gold; Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,071
Flew LAX-EWR last Thursday evening. Gate agent called for those needing assistance first. Nobody came and she immediately proceeded to Group 1, skipping military and GS.
Apr 6, 2016, 9:28 am
#118
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: UA SP, DL SM MM, AS 75K, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond.
Posts: 2,596
Apr 6, 2016, 10:49 am
#119
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
On March 30th, EWR-IAH, the GA barely paused between families and GS. There were, I believe, 6 of us on the plane and we were literally breathing down the necks of the two pre-boarded families. They had strollers to gate check, so we couldn't board immediately.
I do not care who boards first, but this policy doesn't work if there isn't a gap between calling families and the next group.
I do not care who boards first, but this policy doesn't work if there isn't a gap between calling families and the next group.
Apr 6, 2016, 11:26 am
#120
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, Hyatt Lifetime Glob, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,272