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UA's Boarding Process with WILMA now - Inconsistent process / PreBoarding issues

UA's Boarding Process with WILMA now - Inconsistent process / PreBoarding issues

Old Sep 18, 2022, 11:58 pm
  #76  
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Originally Posted by limey1K
I was the recently told by a GS agent that anyone wearing a yellow lanyard was a new hire/trainee.
And United is actually training folks to be so far off the defined boarding script?

David
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Old Sep 19, 2022, 12:21 am
  #77  
 
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Originally Posted by DELee
And United is actually training folks to be so far off the defined boarding script?

David
I dont have a clue but I do try and avoid anyone with a yellow lanyard 😁
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Old Sep 19, 2022, 8:01 am
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Originally Posted by DELee
So how many 1Ks did you have to flatten in order to board?

David
I let them fight with the wheelchairs and babies!
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Old Sep 19, 2022, 8:08 am
  #79  
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This is with another carrier. They make the announcement of the right boarding order (something a lot of UA gate agents are incapable of doing), but allow anyone and everyone to board - a different kind of boarding chaos - fun time to witness. Also, 6 gate agents for a narrowbody domestic flight...lol
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Old Sep 25, 2022, 8:17 am
  #80  
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Gate agent just called Premier during preboarding, just Premier, the already chaotic boarding process just went into extreme frenzy.

From a flight yesterday, gate agent called 1K 100,000 miles. Wish we could earn 1K with 100,000 miles still.
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Old Oct 18, 2022, 8:01 pm
  #81  
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SFO-LAS this afternoon. GA called out every 1Ks name to come forward. And then said those 1Ks were welcome to board. No usual surge from BG1 at mention of 1K.
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Old Oct 22, 2022, 1:27 am
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The station manager at MUC was taking care of my flight this week and called people with disabilities, Active military, and families and after that 1K members and Global services .

Surprised to see that happen in Germany, even more from the manager.
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Old Oct 22, 2022, 3:51 am
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A dedicated 1K line at HND. Also notice the handheld sign. I was the only 1K on that flight.

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Old Oct 22, 2022, 11:36 am
  #84  
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Originally Posted by kevflyer
A dedicated 1K line at HND. Also notice the handheld sign. I was the only 1K on that flight.

img
Curious, I never saw that before, but the 'San Francisco' sign has Chinese as the second language. Did you notice if it rotates to Japanese?
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Old Oct 22, 2022, 1:22 pm
  #85  
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Originally Posted by fumje
Curious, I never saw that before, but the 'San Francisco' sign has Chinese as the second language. Did you notice if it rotates to Japanese?
I thought it should be シスコ or similar?

But the 1K lines have been there for ages, I remember seeing them since I started flying United from Tokyo, along with the gate agents who go out into the lines to filter who should be where, you know like they should be doing at every airport?

Last week I boarded 4 widebody flights operated by JAL, looking carefully at the amount of carry ons brought by each passenger, and noting no difference in carry on volume or size, but that we fully boarded a full 787 or 777 in about 20 minutes vs the 45+ minutes it takes on United.

Preparing people ahead of time and keeping them away from the boarding area until their priority is called certainly helps, but also passengers who don't wander down the aisle juggling two bags, a box of pizza, a cup of soda, two kids all while looking completely clueless also seems to help things move quicker.
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Old Oct 22, 2022, 4:25 pm
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Originally Posted by fumje
Curious, I never saw that before, but the 'San Francisco' sign has Chinese as the second language. Did you notice if it rotates to Japanese?
Yes it rotated
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Old Oct 22, 2022, 4:32 pm
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Originally Posted by bocastephen
I thought it should be シスコ or similar?

But the 1K lines have been there for ages, I remember seeing them since I started flying United from Tokyo, along with the gate agents who go out into the lines to filter who should be where, you know like they should be doing at every airport?

Last week I boarded 4 widebody flights operated by JAL, looking carefully at the amount of carry ons brought by each passenger, and noting no difference in carry on volume or size, but that we fully boarded a full 787 or 777 in about 20 minutes vs the 45+ minutes it takes on United.

Preparing people ahead of time and keeping them away from the boarding area until their priority is called certainly helps, but also passengers who don't wander down the aisle juggling two bags, a box of pizza, a cup of soda, two kids all while looking completely clueless also seems to help things move quicker.
Even US carriers can board much quicker but they choose not to. UA is the worst based on my observations.

Example, I boarded a non-UA (US airline) carrier a couple of weeks ago. Even for a narrow body, boarding was completed and door closed within 15 minutes from the start of the boarding. The inbound flight came in late, and it was the last flight of the day for the O/D pairing...a lot of people had connections at destination.

So, it is very much possible to board a lot quicker.
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Old Oct 22, 2022, 10:22 pm
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What if I told you that only having one or two boarding groups is probably the fastest way to board a plane, but because "full service" airlines need to provide benefits for elites and partner elites, and be able to sell early boarding as a revenue stream that they have all these boarding groups that slow things down?

Back in June and July, I was in Australia, and flew with UA partner Virgin Australia. They call boarding 30 minutes before scheduled departure, and have three boarding groups - Preboarding for those with disabilities and those who need extra time, business class (including elites seated in economy), and then everyone else. 15 minutes is about all it takes to board a 176 seat 737-800. No row numbers, no separate main cabin boarding groups. Just everyone goes. The overhead bins filled up just as they do in the US, and the plane sits for a bit with the door open until it's departure time (sometimes they leave early!).
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Old Oct 23, 2022, 10:39 am
  #89  
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Originally Posted by diburning
What if I told you that only having one or two boarding groups is probably the fastest way to board a plane, but because "full service" airlines need to provide benefits for elites and partner elites, and be able to sell early boarding as a revenue stream that they have all these boarding groups that slow things down?
There are several factors that impact boarding speed. Cultural differences are one of the biggest factors. Americans board slower, because many have little or no concern for the back-up they're causing by lingering in the aisle. Rampant obesity doesn't help.

Boarding process is also a factor, but I would disagree that boarding groups are a major contributor to slower boarding. WN essentially has nine boarding groups (pre-boarding, A1-30, A31-60, A List, families with children, B1-30, B31-60, C1-30, and C-31 on), but can board more quickly than any US legacy because (a) they allow pax to check 2 bags for free and (b) there are no assigned seats. This latter factor is particularly significant, because studies have shown that random boarding is the most efficient (faster than a structured boarding back to front and/or windows-in process).
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Old Oct 23, 2022, 10:56 am
  #90  
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Originally Posted by Kacee
...Cultural differences are one of the biggest factors. Americans board slower, because many have little or no concern for the back-up they're causing by lingering in the aisle. Rampant obesity doesn't help..
Not sure about the obesity part, but I would say it's more of an issue with confusion and general all-round idiocy than having little concern. People seem completely bewildered by the process of stepping on an airplane, finding their row, shoving a bag quickly in the overhead and sitting the heck down. When I'm in Y, based on my observation, it just comes down to completely cluelessness. Often included is the process of juggling multiple drinks, snacks, and other paraphernalia that should either be in the carry-on or not brought on board - seriously, you can't finish your Big Gulp in the terminal?

Deplaning is certainly much faster, but I've also seen people step up from their seat, then stare with confusion at their own bag sitting in the overhead appearing at a loss about what to do next.

Find me an airline where the flight attendants use cattle prods, and that is my new favorite way to fly.
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