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 16, 2018, 6:45 pm
#1036
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Until UA deals with the carry-on scammers, there is no system which works well.
Sep 16, 2018, 6:54 pm
#1037
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
...? At which point, group 1 is... truly just Platinum.
This is just another iteration of the tug-of-war between status and purchased fare class. Sometimes, UA decides that status is most important, sometimes they're exactly the same, and sometimes paid fare class is most important.
I expect we'll see quite a bit of squawking by people who want to know why their Group 1, First Class boarding pass allowed them to stand at the front of a line to be the 40th person onto a plane. And then they'll change it again.
By introducing checked baggage fees and slimline seats, without increasing overhead space, the airlines have created a problem for which there's no good solution. One suspects they will continue to iterate pointlessly.
This is just another iteration of the tug-of-war between status and purchased fare class. Sometimes, UA decides that status is most important, sometimes they're exactly the same, and sometimes paid fare class is most important.
I expect we'll see quite a bit of squawking by people who want to know why their Group 1, First Class boarding pass allowed them to stand at the front of a line to be the 40th person onto a plane. And then they'll change it again.
By introducing checked baggage fees and slimline seats, without increasing overhead space, the airlines have created a problem for which there's no good solution. One suspects they will continue to iterate pointlessly.
Sep 16, 2018, 6:57 pm
#1038
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,344
Just a data point. My friend just wrote me and she's UA Gold flying tomorrow without an upgrade. She's been assigned BG1. No idea why.
I'm wondering if Gold isn't included in BG1 now since 1Ks will board 'early'. Then BG2 is for credit card holders and silvers?
-RM
I'm wondering if Gold isn't included in BG1 now since 1Ks will board 'early'. Then BG2 is for credit card holders and silvers?
-RM
Sep 16, 2018, 7:22 pm
#1039
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
The new scheme goes live system-wide on Tuesday, September 18th.
I don't know all the details about who will board in which group, but I know that's the launch date. There is a media event on Monday to share more details.
I don't know all the details about who will board in which group, but I know that's the launch date. There is a media event on Monday to share more details.
Sep 16, 2018, 7:27 pm
#1040
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA 1K MM, DL Diamond, NK Gold, Mariott LT Plat/Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold
Posts: 925
I just hope that GS still gets to board before 1K/FC.
Sep 16, 2018, 8:45 pm
#1041
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Ex-MSP
Programs: UA: Plat, Marriott: Annual Ambassador, Lifetime Grandfather
Posts: 293
-mvitale
Sep 16, 2018, 9:40 pm
#1042
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,901
Zero for 6 at ORD BOS and DCA over the past week.
Sep 16, 2018, 10:02 pm
#1043
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 19,506
I may the only one who really appreciated the time-honored, immensely logical (and simple) approach of boarding the aircraft “from the rear”. I don’t really care when I get on the plane, but I absolutely despise waiting in the aisle while people hoist their oversized bags into the overhead bin, then decide to remove a jacket and stuff it in the bin as well, then try to figure out (for the first or the umpteenth time) which side of the aircraft their seat is on, etc. etc. ad infinitum. I would much prefer that all those riding in the E- seats be settled prior to my arrival at my seat in the exit row.
Sep 16, 2018, 11:19 pm
#1044
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: 44,331
Well UA just knocked themselves to the bottom of my list of airlines to fly domestically, where I'm always paid J/F.
Sep 17, 2018, 12:01 am
#1045
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: CO
Programs: UA OG-1K, Marriott Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,360
I may the only one who really appreciated the time-honored, immensely logical (and simple) approach of boarding the aircraft “from the rear”. I don’t really care when I get on the plane, but I absolutely despise waiting in the aisle while people hoist their oversized bags into the overhead bin, then decide to remove a jacket and stuff it in the bin as well, then try to figure out (for the first or the umpteenth time) which side of the aircraft their seat is on, etc. etc. ad infinitum. I would much prefer that all those riding in the E- seats be settled prior to my arrival at my seat in the exit row.
Just when I take a year 'off' and will probably just make plat this year, the there is an actual benefit to 1K.
I don't think it will work very well at a lot of places that don't have a pass through for 'GS'. Getting GSers on board early is hard enough. Pulling that number of 1Ks through tight gates will be even more crazy. Then if you have 1Ks sometimes but not other times in BG1 due to gate set up?
If they go to the three lane system of an exit lane, BG-A, BG-B, then you could get start with the exit, BG1, BG2. Load GS, 1K, military, medical and families through the 'exit' lane. Then load BG1 and when it is done change it to BG3. Load BG2, change it to BG4. Load BG3, change it to BG5. But if you miss your BG, you'll have to know to load through the 'exit'.
Sep 17, 2018, 12:10 am
#1046
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Houston TX
Programs: United Premier 1k, Hertz Presidents Circle, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 408
They did it Sunday night on my flight IAH-MEM
Sep 17, 2018, 12:31 am
#1047
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,969
While I never fly paid F, I have never understood why F passengers are not boarded first. A lot of the "real F flyers" who don't usually fly UA get confused why they paid for F and don't get to board first. As much I hate all the cuts Kirby is doing, I am thinking this is one of the things that Kirby will change to be more like AA.
Another thing I wonder is maybe there are fewer 1Ks now so they can do this?
Sep 17, 2018, 12:39 am
#1048
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: CO
Programs: UA OG-1K, Marriott Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,360
If there are fewer 1Ks, then there are heck of a lot more plats... I have to say, being a boarding pass sniffer, I see a lot of "1K" printed BPs in BG1.
I think that it more the realization that we are probably going to have an economic dip in the next 12 months. We've had a decade long run, the politics will change and the current changes that are putting some umph behind the economy will be tempered. I've said this for years, when the next downturn comes, UA will be happy to have as many 1Ks as they can get. Maybe also a segway to the thought that 1Ks may buy the INTL PE product that is coming. But mainly, 1Ks look a lot prettier when load factors and F/J goes down.
I think that it more the realization that we are probably going to have an economic dip in the next 12 months. We've had a decade long run, the politics will change and the current changes that are putting some umph behind the economy will be tempered. I've said this for years, when the next downturn comes, UA will be happy to have as many 1Ks as they can get. Maybe also a segway to the thought that 1Ks may buy the INTL PE product that is coming. But mainly, 1Ks look a lot prettier when load factors and F/J goes down.
Sep 17, 2018, 12:40 am
#1049
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Is that tongue-in-cheek? Early boarding really exists for the overhead bin space, so why would a GS (or 1K for that matter) care if they board before or after FC, who have their own bins?
In fact, I honestly think it is appropriate that AA lets FC board before EXPs (their equivalent of 1K), instead of at the same time as I've learned Delta does. To hear that UA puts FC boarding behind elites, not even simultaneously, is sort of a slap to the people paying that premium.
In fact, I honestly think it is appropriate that AA lets FC board before EXPs (their equivalent of 1K), instead of at the same time as I've learned Delta does. To hear that UA puts FC boarding behind elites, not even simultaneously, is sort of a slap to the people paying that premium.
Sep 17, 2018, 1:02 am
#1050
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: CO
Programs: UA OG-1K, Marriott Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,360
As a 1K I agree. I also think that on domestic flights, CPUs clear too early. There are times that F is full and I know some are CPUs at 24+. I know that UA has history and manages inventory, but for last minute flights or IRROPS, it doesn't make a lot of sense. GS are GS, I'm guessing that 1%-ish spend means even more than an F cabin. F vs 1K, I'm not so sure. And like I said, I'm a 1K.
I do say it is nice when I am in F, and it usually is paid F, I get first or second swipe at meal choice. Sometimes my seat mate is a little befuddled when I get asked what I want, and they are asked what they'd prefer....
I do say it is nice when I am in F, and it usually is paid F, I get first or second swipe at meal choice. Sometimes my seat mate is a little befuddled when I get asked what I want, and they are asked what they'd prefer....