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United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [2016-forward]{Archive}

Old Jan 19, 2017, 11:05 pm
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Source: United Boarding Process

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 well let you know when were 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

  1. Unaccompanied minors
  2. Customers with disabilities
  3. Active members of the military
  4. United Global Services members
  5. Families traveling with children age 2 and younger
  6. 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.
Originally Posted by JOSECONLSCREW28
There will also be updated boarding times:

757 & Widebody aircraft: 50 min prior to departure
737-800/900 & 737 MAX 40 min prior to departure
737-700 & A319/A320 35 min prior to departure
================================================== ==============================
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
Premier Access Boarding
  • 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 youre 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]
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United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [2016-forward]{Archive}

Old Oct 7, 2018, 10:37 am
  #2041  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,925
Originally Posted by narvik
I'm dreading the next announcement of some small added value to 1K!
UA has one more card to play.

The move to $15k PQD came with bump to pre-boarding. The new benefit of a future $18k PQD requirement could be 1Ks leap-frogging families with spawn under 2. Thats $6k/yr to move up in boarding at no cost to UA (other than the directed ire of a few F passengers steaming in BG1).
IAH-OIL-TRASH is offline  
Old Oct 7, 2018, 11:53 am
  #2042  
mr8
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: UA1K | *A Gold
Posts: 767
Originally Posted by IAH-OIL-TRASH


UA has one more card to play.

The move to $15k PQD came with bump to pre-boarding. The new benefit of a future $18k PQD requirement could be 1Ks leap-frogging families with spawn under 2. That’s $6k/yr to move up in boarding at no cost to UA (other than the directed ire of a few F passengers steaming in BG1).

They might as well just rename 1K to GS*. Doesn't seem like they care much for the GS anyways.

*PQD requirement is now $25,000

Last edited by mr8; Oct 7, 2018 at 11:58 am
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 12:07 pm
  #2043  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: ORD-LAS
Programs: UA MM 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 4,419
I havent had any flights call GS and 1K at the same time. Ive had them forget to call 1K though. They call Group 1 and 1Ks are left having to cut in the Group 1, and everyone i Group 1 starts yelling.

They should announce GS them 1K
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 12:18 pm
  #2044  
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Originally Posted by mr8
They might as well just rename 1K to GS*. Doesn't seem like they care much for the GS anyways.

*PQD requirement is now $25,000
????
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 2:15 pm
  #2045  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,375
Originally Posted by LASUA1K
I havent had any flights call GS and 1K at the same time. Ive had them forget to call 1K though. They call Group 1 and 1Ks are left having to cut in the Group 1, and everyone i Group 1 starts yelling.

They should announce GS them 1K
The proper order is now:
Pax with disability
Military
GS
Families with small children
1K

I've had three flights in the past few weeks where GS&1K were called together (once after families, twice before).
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 2:43 pm
  #2046  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,606
Originally Posted by wxguy
The proper order is now:
Pax with disability
Military
GS
Families with small children
1K

I've had three flights in the past few weeks where GS&1K were called together (once after families, twice before).
i have had the same experience. Call Or write Customer Care and let them know we are hacked off about this latest erosion of benefits
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 2:55 pm
  #2047  
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Originally Posted by LASUA1K
I havent had any flights call GS and 1K at the same time.
All of my flights have called them together. Makes the most sense IMO.
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 3:08 pm
  #2048  
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,965
I just boarded ORD-EWR which is a converted 777-200. The agent called all boarding groups together without a pause. I asked him about it. He said this is the new procedure and pointed to the text that they read from. The text clearly has a pause after each individual boarding group. I pointed out the pause and he blew me off. You can imagine the stampede into the plane with all five groups.

So instead of steaming, I called GS at ORD (I have their office number) and asked the supervisor to meet me at the gate. I told her what the issue was and she called the gate supervisor of that area to meet us there. I was able to talk to both of them about the issue. Although they were sympathetic, they did say that it was a new process and that there was a learning curve. I replied that every flight I have boarded correctly implemented the process, so that excuse doesnt cut it for me.

They said that they would talk to the agent. I had to board, but knowing the GS supervisor, I know she will follow up with the gate supervisor.

So let them know!
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 6:08 pm
  #2049  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,112
Originally Posted by cerealmarketer


There are costs - both explicit and opportunity - to testing to perfection just as there are costs to not testing. At some point the risk reward crosses.

My guess...

The current guy who manages the premier program came in about a year ago. It prob took several months to come to the conclusion / get agreement that they planned to tighten 1K requal requirements.

As that became clear the notion of we need to add value to 1K at no direct $ cost at the time of the announcement may have come up.

Enter the preboard modification.

Testing would have meant delaying the boarding rollout for months.

So they took a risk on their people and maybe figure its an easy thing to iterate on with their feedback loop. Ill bet they tweak / push more clarification in the months ahead.

None of us has the numbers on what they are gaining vs losing.

What I do know is absolutist statements without the same info access as the decision makers generally skew too far to one side of reality.
Not finding fault with your guess, its certainly plausible. But results are what matter and what people and companies should be judged by. How they did or didnt get there isnt the customers problem.

My experience to date is still hit and miss, and like all things United, I figure it will all find some equilibrium in several months time. But what strikes me is how well they seem to have the Lane 1 / Lane 2 part down. That has been fairly uneventful. That was the more complicated part of all this, and interestingly enough, the part they tested thoroughly.
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 7:51 pm
  #2050  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SFO, TPE, HNL
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Posts: 1,819
Originally Posted by iluv2fly
I just boarded ORD-EWR which is a converted 777-200. The agent called all boarding groups together without a pause. I asked him about it. He said this is the new procedure and pointed to the text that they read from. The text clearly has a pause after each individual boarding group. I pointed out the pause and he blew me off. You can imagine the stampede into the plane with all five groups.

So instead of steaming, I called GS at ORD (I have their office number) and asked the supervisor to meet me at the gate. I told her what the issue was and she called the gate supervisor of that area to meet us there. I was able to talk to both of them about the issue. Although they were sympathetic, they did say that it was a new process and that there was a learning curve. I replied that every flight I have boarded correctly implemented the process, so that excuse doesnt cut it for me.

They said that they would talk to the agent. I had to board, but knowing the GS supervisor, I know she will follow up with the gate supervisor.

So let them know!
Thank you very much! Does anyone know the GS number at SFO? If I know the number I will call and tell them what happened when GAs do not pause.
I am not sure email to GS is useful. I have written about 5 times to GS and have yet receive any reply from GS. All three replies I got were from customer service center.
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 8:11 pm
  #2051  
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,965
Originally Posted by PanAmWT
Thank you very much! Does anyone know the GS number at SFO? If I know the number I will call and tell them what happened when GAs do not pause.
I am not sure email to GS is useful. I have written about 5 times to GS and have yet receive any reply from GS. All three replies I got were from customer service center.
I never email GS CS. I call the GS number during regular business hours and ask them to transfer me to GS CS. I always have a good resolution from them.
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Old Oct 7, 2018, 9:11 pm
  #2052  
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NYC: UA 1K, DL Platinum, AAirpass, Avis PC
Posts: 4,599
Originally Posted by HeadInTheClouds

Not finding fault with your guess, its certainly plausible. But results are what matter and what people and companies should be judged by. How they did or didnt get there isnt the customers problem.

My experience to date is still hit and miss, and like all things United, I figure it will all find some equilibrium in several months time. But what strikes me is how well they seem to have the Lane 1 / Lane 2 part down. That has been fairly uneventful. That was the more complicated part of all this, and interestingly enough, the part they tested thoroughly.
Yes re Lane 1 / 2 - one possibility is that was considered the only objective of the testing. It impacts the most passengers and its remarkable how they were able to change the group 3-5 behavior.

Which could have brought them to - do we do two rollouts and delay the 1K / gold benefit, delay it all to test preboard for the 10% of pax, or roll out the preboard at the same time.

Reading comments on the DL forum of their scattered rollout of old UA style lanes makes this look even smoother.

GS pax shouldnt be playing boarding compliance officer but addressing that with the right pause to keep eager 1Ks at bay among the minority of rogue agents seems a lot less complex than the changes they ultimately implemented for groups 3-5.





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Old Oct 8, 2018, 3:56 am
  #2053  
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UA949 LHR-SFO was not as smooth as I would have hoped for. It may have been compounded by the fact that the night before we had got a text saying there were crew issues, that the flight would be about an hour late, and we got a very late gate (B36) and once we had got there only the signs were lit up for BG 3/4/5. We also had to wait for the "security" team to arrive and do their setting up. I spoke to the GS supervisor who said that they would be following the new order. They still did not light the signs up as to where Pre, BG1/2 should go by the time I had gone through. People just milled in no order at all. It wasn't chaos, but it was a bit of an undignified scrum I have to say, but at the moment it does not feel a graceful solution if this is how it will be from now on. So, I don't really feel as though I have experienced the new process properly yet but I will say there was about 3 GS, and a whole shedload of 1K.
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Old Oct 8, 2018, 8:59 am
  #2054  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Posts: 2,872
Worked exactly as should at RAP this morning with just the right amount of pause btwn groups. Amazing they can get it right, but not in ORD.
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Old Oct 8, 2018, 9:27 am
  #2055  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: CO
Programs: UA OG-1K, Marriott Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,356
I really wish all the GS would complain about the lack of implementation on this. As a 1K, I don't feel like I'll be taken seriously. On my CMH-DEN flight last week there was no way for people to preboard. They have three gates at the end of the hall. The GA merged all the pre-boards together, and as I scanned my BP, I told him that he needs to pause between each of those groups. He gave me a 'whatever' look. This is what you get from the lowest bidder handling ground ops when unemployment is under 4%.

IF GS complain, we might get some better implementation.
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