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 25, 2018, 1:03 pm
#1801
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,585
No no crew bags above first on that flight....the closet on the front right was open and full of crew bags.
Sep 25, 2018, 1:58 pm
#1802
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 747
It was a narrow lane, so not really. Git yer own line! ;-)
I have no issue with 1Ks going before plats. If it’s efficient.
Sep 25, 2018, 2:49 pm
#1803
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,998
I’m boarding my first flight in about 2 hours since new policy came out. I’ll be at end of BG2 and can hardly wait to see what the end of the world feels like 😮
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Sep 25, 2018 at 2:55 pm
Sep 25, 2018, 5:37 pm
#1804
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: United, AA,
Posts: 13
It is interesting to see the comments from 1K's about pre-boarding when Million Mile Flyers do not get any special treatment above Gold status.
Sep 25, 2018, 5:50 pm
#1805
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,585
Hey, Mr. Full Fare Ticket, why don’t you just cancel the rest of your booked United flights? There’s no cancellation fee on your full-fare tickets.
I’m boarding my first flight in about 2 hours since new policy came out. I’ll be at end of BG2 and can hardly wait to see what the end of the world feels like 😮
This ticket was too late to change.
My last ticket is paired paired with my wife’s FC award ticket.
Why are you boarding at the end of group 2? I thought you are a 1k.
Sep 25, 2018, 6:04 pm
#1806
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,153
Honestly (and still IMO) lifetime gold is a pretty generous benefit/special treatment to dole out with no recurring qualification criteria attached... and treating lifetime Gold above current 1K is a great way to disincentivize a key revenue group
Lincoln
(currently at 0.6MM but not holding my breath)
Sep 25, 2018, 7:32 pm
#1807
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,392
Sep 25, 2018, 8:04 pm
#1808
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,989
The same reason I waited until the very end of boarding last Thursday (I was the very last to board on one flight and still found room for my rollaboard in F); I wanted to see if the predicted "boarding apocalypse" would come to pass. In my case, it did not.
Serious question for you:
Why are you having to regularly take the horrible CRJs and ERJs? I avoid those planes at all costs and will take a longer layover to avoid a routing on UAX. Of course, if I go to MRY or ASE, I don't have much choice, but DCA has tons of mainline flights, especially since you're agnostic on carriers.
Serious question for you:
Why are you having to regularly take the horrible CRJs and ERJs? I avoid those planes at all costs and will take a longer layover to avoid a routing on UAX. Of course, if I go to MRY or ASE, I don't have much choice, but DCA has tons of mainline flights, especially since you're agnostic on carriers.
Last edited by zombietooth; Sep 25, 2018 at 10:00 pm
Sep 25, 2018, 8:50 pm
#1809
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,585
Serious question for you:
Why are having to regularly take the horrible CRJs and ERJs? I avoid those planes at all costs and will take a longer layover to avoid a routing on UAX. Of course, if I go to MRY or ASE, I don't have much choice, but DCA has tons of mainline flights, especially since you're agnostic on carriers.
Why are having to regularly take the horrible CRJs and ERJs? I avoid those planes at all costs and will take a longer layover to avoid a routing on UAX. Of course, if I go to MRY or ASE, I don't have much choice, but DCA has tons of mainline flights, especially since you're agnostic on carriers.
When i have a choice, it comes down to who appreciates my premium fare business more.
Sep 25, 2018, 9:01 pm
#1810
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Orange County, CA
Programs: United GS, MM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 598
I had a flight yesterday out of SFO. As the GA called off passengers with disabilities, I started weaving my way past the other people lingering around the gate to work my way up. One 1K passenger decided he didnt want me going up before him and was actively blocking me in, purposely walking in front of me and cutting me off as I tried to move up. I ended up just letting walking behind him until GA called for GS to preboard, and then promptly went around him as he stopped short of the scanner. I think the process is working out fine, it's just the people that are causing the problem.
Sep 25, 2018, 9:54 pm
#1811
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,989
It's a typical experience for me domestically. However, most of the time, I am feeding to a hub for an international flight, and bag stowage is definitely not a concern in international J. I like to lallygag around in the Polaris Lounge as long as possible before a long flight and am always very late to the gate.
Since I was conducting an experiment, should there have been no space for me, I would've suffered the consequences with aplomb.
By the way, I don't want to give the impression that I am only flying domestic F. Many times, my GPU clears the international segment and not the domestic, so I do my share of domestic Y flying. All I am saying is that when I am in domestic F, I have never encountered a problem with stowing my bag nearby-and by nearby, I mean within a few rows or so.
Last edited by zombietooth; Sep 25, 2018 at 10:23 pm
Sep 25, 2018, 10:57 pm
#1812
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,998
KOA-LAX boarding today was interesting. Agent in semi-remote air-conditioned booth called out boarding for SFO and LAX flights simultaneously, switching between flights as she called boarding groups. She couldn’t really see what was going on at the gates (esp. gate 1). She called out pre-pre boarders in order, including “our 100,000 customers” and then BG1. It ended up with everyone, pre-boarders and BG1, going out as a clump. They didn’t pull aside BG1 to beat them or anything. Disabled (2 pax) ended up eventually entering a/c thru galley door amidst BG2. KOA uses mobile stairs or ramp and then a lift for disabled. Everyone in F got their bags stored in F, albeit the two in 1AB stored a row or two back.
At LAX, passed gate 80 where they were boarding Monterey and heard GA call out for 1Ks.
At LAX, passed gate 80 where they were boarding Monterey and heard GA call out for 1Ks.
Maybe (to appease some), UA ought to just put 1Ks back in BG1, but just call them first within the group
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Sep 26, 2018 at 11:12 pm Reason: overly personal response; discuss the issue, not the poster(s);merged consecutive posts by same member
Sep 25, 2018, 11:05 pm
#1813
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,520
If one really thinks about it, the new procedure is just as if 1Ks decided to gate lice at front of BG1 line (without actually having to stand there). Golds get to move up a whole group and can choose to stand at front of BG1line.
Maybe (to appease some), UA ought to just put 1Ks back in BG1, but just call them first within the group
Maybe (to appease some), UA ought to just put 1Ks back in BG1, but just call them first within the group
Sep 25, 2018, 11:26 pm
#1814
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lahaina, HI & Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,403
If one really thinks about it, the new procedure is just as if 1Ks decided to gate lice at front of BG1 line (without actually having to stand there). Golds get to move up a whole group and can choose to stand at front of BG1line.
Maybe (to appease some), UA ought to just put 1Ks back in BG1, but just call them first within the group
@:-)
Sep 26, 2018, 12:38 am
#1815
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA 1K MM, HHonors Diamond,PC, Marriott Rewards Gold
Posts: 1,117
I’m loving it.
Flew ORD-PVG UA835 on the 18th and they were all on it with pre-boarding 1K’s. The real trip for me was on the return yesterday UA836 there was a boarding lane labeled “pre-boarding” and I lined up there as a 1K. First time in a LOOONG time wound up boarding first without being in line for 20+ minutes.
I feel like someone at UA has restored 1K to its previous glory (take that for what it is) dating back to the days of DEQM and the secret 1K only website.
I feel like someone at UA has restored 1K to its previous glory (take that for what it is) dating back to the days of DEQM and the secret 1K only website.