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 17, 2018, 9:56 pm
#1261
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Medellín
Programs: LH SEN | UA 1K
Posts: 77
1K louse here, happy to pre-board now before all these vips that are too poor to afford their own plane
Sep 17, 2018, 9:57 pm
#1262
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,014
...Strangely, this change may actually ultimately help the "no time for GS" in the announcement sequence. There are enough 1Ks that the agents will pretty quickly discover that they need to wait or they cause issues. With 0, 1, or 2 GS it is pretty easy to just assume none and go on. With 5 or more 1Ks it will become obvious. I suspect that in the long run this will create more time for the GS boarding (so long as you don't mind at times boarding with the lowly 1Ks).
Sep 17, 2018, 9:58 pm
#1263
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,459
Undoubtedly this will evolve into happening regularly. A good portion of GAs already don't pause enough between GS preboarding and Group 1 and create difficult and awkward boarding for GS. GS is being devalued with this change.
100% agree. There are going to be literal cluster*$&#s happening in the limited spaces outside the boarding lanes. It's difficult enough for GS to find space to quietly linger to the side. Just wait for 20+ 1Ks to join the mess at all the hub gates.
100% agree. There are going to be literal cluster*$&#s happening in the limited spaces outside the boarding lanes. It's difficult enough for GS to find space to quietly linger to the side. Just wait for 20+ 1Ks to join the mess at all the hub gates.
edit: got beat to it!
Sep 17, 2018, 10:19 pm
#1264
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
The only F passengers who might have to wait an extra two minutes are those who aren’t already 1K. And who are those? The ones who don’t fly nearly as much and are generally less hyper-sensitive to waiting an extra two minutes anyway.
PS – As a UA MM, I’ve never seen an F passenger on UA have to check a bag due to late boarding. Never.
PS – As a UA MM, I’ve never seen an F passenger on UA have to check a bag due to late boarding. Never.
I'll hold judgement until I actually go through the process. But when I sit in F (on a paid ticket, discount F albeit) I generally like to be one of the first ~10 paxs to board, situate myself, start streaming something and enjoy a beverage. No doubt I'll still be able to do that, but I get the feeling that after 1K's board and I'm in the "middle of the pack" heard that it's going to be more than an extra two minutes.
Sep 17, 2018, 10:40 pm
#1265
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA GS 1MM, CM PP
Posts: 689
Space. GS like buffers of space, not another pack of people. (I only half joke). The families/kids boarding might be the real thing that separates the groups, if actively recognized/enforced. Usually there's a gap to get that group processed, when they are present.
Sep 17, 2018, 10:56 pm
#1266
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,459
Sep 17, 2018, 10:58 pm
#1267
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Seoul
Programs: None anymore
Posts: 983
I dispute your contention too with just two examples I bring off of the top of my head, ANA most definitely boards their status pax first before premium cabin, and OZ has done the same recently at ICN for their diamond or whatever pax. And this is boarding BEFORE, not at the same time, premium pax.
Sep 17, 2018, 11:10 pm
#1268
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,419
I like this, as separates 1K from plats.
Concern about the number of preboarding groups though, it keeps growing. Also, if a 1K BP says BG1, will GA’s verify a gold doesn’t try to board during preboarding?
Concern about the number of preboarding groups though, it keeps growing. Also, if a 1K BP says BG1, will GA’s verify a gold doesn’t try to board during preboarding?
Sep 17, 2018, 11:19 pm
#1269
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Orange County, CA
Programs: United GS, MM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 598
Doubt it. They don’t enforce preboarders who board with GS now, doubt they’re going to do anything with the 1Ks
I’ve seen a particular passenger on a few of my
flights who has 1k on his boarding pass, but would always board with GS.
I’ve seen a particular passenger on a few of my
flights who has 1k on his boarding pass, but would always board with GS.
Sep 18, 2018, 12:13 am
#1270
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,169
Labeling the chutes 1&2 is confusing with boarding groups 1&2. And even more so as chutes 1&2 have meant groups 1&2 up to now.
Just because WN use A/B Isn’t a reason not to do the same. Or call it heads and tails. “Group 3, board in lane 2”??
the 1K in pre Group 1 and Gold in Group 1 is a good move. The more like PMUA the better. Obviously
Just because WN use A/B Isn’t a reason not to do the same. Or call it heads and tails. “Group 3, board in lane 2”??
the 1K in pre Group 1 and Gold in Group 1 is a good move. The more like PMUA the better. Obviously
Sep 18, 2018, 1:03 am
#1271
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: CO
Programs: UA OG-1K, Marriott Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,360
People gate lice because they want to make it in the front of their group. What you need to do is make the number of groups big enough that there isn't a need to try to game your position in your group. Maybe this is a way to do it. That or they are looking to make it symmetrical with BGs from 1 to 5 after the do negative 5 to negative 1. Only Eithad gets to use BG0.
Frankly, as a 1K I don't like it. I like lines. They are linear. This new one stuff is groups. And you are going to get {folks} rushing from the back of the group towards the front as soon as the GA starts on "WHhhhoooooooon K".
Frankly, as a 1K I don't like it. I like lines. They are linear. This new one stuff is groups. And you are going to get {folks} rushing from the back of the group towards the front as soon as the GA starts on "WHhhhoooooooon K".
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Sep 18, 2018 at 4:32 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
Sep 18, 2018, 1:06 am
#1272
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: 44,313
Do they really think groups 3 to 5 aren't going to crowd around so that they can be first in their group to board?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Sep 18, 2018 at 4:33 pm Reason: quote updated to reflect Moderator edit
Sep 18, 2018, 4:15 am
#1273
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,340
Sep 18, 2018, 4:40 am
#1274
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 361
Sep 18, 2018, 4:42 am
#1275
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: BOS
Programs: 1MM, UA 1k
Posts: 529
Not yet in BOS
2165 BOS-EWR new boarding lanes, but same old automated announcement, and 2 BP scanning lanes.