UA's Boarding Process with WILMA now - Inconsistent process / PreBoarding issues
Aug 11, 2023, 9:34 am
#316
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,803
MSN today was one long pre-board announcement of ExtraTimeMilitaryGloabalService1K followed by “families with small children”. I was the only GS and I mentioned that it was tough to pre-board when the groups are all lumped together. She said I called Global Services so I just kept moving in the boarding line behind some very eager 1Ks
Aug 11, 2023, 9:43 am
#317
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Greater Chicagoland Area
Programs: frontier Elite, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,455
Yea - I had that at EWR too recently. No GA ever showed up for the flight and the gate was right next to the GA office. 
ur pilot finally told the assembled passengers that he had timed out but couldn't say for sure whether the flight would be canceled. The pilot was most apologetic and told us he couldn't believe he had to tell us that it did not look good, but that someone needed to do so. The flight finally did cancel a short while later. The only way we knew was that the gate screen flashed and then changed to show a different flight.
ur pilot finally told the assembled passengers that he had timed out but couldn't say for sure whether the flight would be canceled. The pilot was most apologetic and told us he couldn't believe he had to tell us that it did not look good, but that someone needed to do so. The flight finally did cancel a short while later. The only way we knew was that the gate screen flashed and then changed to show a different flight.
Aug 11, 2023, 2:02 pm
#318
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,419
Aug 11, 2023, 3:45 pm
#319
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,432
Does this sound plausible? Agent is about to go on break or go home? He can go to gate and announce the cancellation and deal with all the angry passengers, or he can just avoid that gate and let them rebook online, at the customer service desk, or at the UC and avoids dealing with it?
body announced anything. Passengers were left to figure out the cancellation on their own. Some of us had to explain the cancellation to passengers who did not speak English and had no access to the UA app. And of course by this time it was already around midnight.
Aug 11, 2023, 4:15 pm
#320
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,803
I wouldn't put it past an EWR GA to do that. But there was never any gate agent there for the flight at all. Not during ANY of the rather lengthy delay. Nbody announced anything. Passengers were left to figure out the cancellation on their own. Some of us had to explain the cancellation to passengers who did not speak English and had no access to the UA app. And of course by this time it was already around midnight.
body announced anything. Passengers were left to figure out the cancellation on their own. Some of us had to explain the cancellation to passengers who did not speak English and had no access to the UA app. And of course by this time it was already around midnight.
Aug 11, 2023, 6:57 pm
#321
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,168
I wouldn't put it past an EWR GA to do that. But there was never any gate agent there for the flight at all. Not during ANY of the rather lengthy delay. Nbody announced anything. Passengers were left to figure out the cancellation on their own. Some of us had to explain the cancellation to passengers who did not speak English and had no access to the UA app. And of course by this time it was already around midnight.
body announced anything. Passengers were left to figure out the cancellation on their own. Some of us had to explain the cancellation to passengers who did not speak English and had no access to the UA app. And of course by this time it was already around midnight.
Sep 22, 2023, 9:50 am
#322
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: EWR/SNA/SUN
Programs: United 1K; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 499
I was surprised to see a dedicated "pre board" line this week at EWR. 787 EWR-LAX service. I dont recall seeing this before, outside of Japan. Because they tried to get all the pre boards in the one line, everyone was out of order when they called the individual categories. Most GS appeared to avoid the process anyway.
Sep 22, 2023, 9:57 am
#323
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
Posts: 4,168
I was surprised to see a dedicated "pre board" line this week at EWR. 787 EWR-LAX service. I dont recall seeing this before, outside of Japan. Because they tried to get all the pre boards in the one line, everyone was out of order when they called the individual categories. Most GS appeared to avoid the process anyway.
Contrast to a recent IAD boarding where the two GAs were giving conflicting instructions on where they wanted preboarders (one wanted us against the wall near the mobility-challenged seating, the other wanted us out on the concourse side), and one who had issued the wall edict was just shy of berating both travelers who listened to the other GA or arrived after her PA and wheel chair attendants ("No! This barrier is going to stay where it is and stay closed! You need to go around. We preboard from over there!" when one attendant tried to take the straightest path )
Sep 22, 2023, 10:08 am
#325
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,384
A gate agent combs through all the lines (BG1, BG2, preboard line), checks docs since intl flight and verifies you are in correct boarding group (and asks you to take a seat if you don't qualify)
requires effort though, and space in the gate area
Sep 27, 2023, 9:41 am
#326
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,511
RT on UA this weekend gave me a sense as to how out-of-hand UA's pre-boarding has gotten (at least at certain stations). DCA/IAH 40+ pre-boarders, including friends and family of pre-boarders. GA unwilling to challenge "friends" of pre-boarding families. Lots of military with families. IAH/DCA-GA boards all pre-boarders except special assistance at once. 30+ people head to the Gate at the same time. Lots of elbowing ensues. It's really time to re-think the process at UA. AA, and I believe, DL, only pre- board special assistance and invitation-only elites. Others are assigned to Groups.
Sep 27, 2023, 10:14 am
#328
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: IAH & CMH
Programs: UA GS, UA MM, Marriott Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Uber Platinum :)
Posts: 773
RT on UA this weekend gave me a sense as to how out-of-hand UA's pre-boarding has gotten (at least at certain stations). DCA/IAH 40+ pre-boarders, including friends and family of pre-boarders. GA unwilling to challenge "friends" of pre-boarding families. Lots of military with families. IAH/DCA-GA boards all pre-boarders except special assistance at once. 30+ people head to the Gate at the same time. Lots of elbowing ensues. It's really time to re-think the process at UA. AA, and I believe, DL, only pre- board special assistance and invitation-only elites. Others are assigned to Groups.
It's when the GA calls out of order, or all at the same time, (or missed a pre board group entirely!) that problems invariably occur.
GA also needs to space the pre-board out and give time for ppl to actually get to the scanner... Calling the five groups out consecutively in one sentence is not optimal!
LHR is excellent - usually separate lanes for GS, 1K, Group 1, etc., and then calling other pre-board groups when they're ready.
1K's won't like this, but as they seem to be the most numerous of the pre-board groups, a way to improve would be to move them to Group 1 along with FC
Sep 27, 2023, 10:35 am
#329
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
Programs: United, American, Delta, Hyatt, Hilton, Hertz, Marriott
Posts: 14,807
I was surprised to see a dedicated "pre board" line this week at EWR. 787 EWR-LAX service. I dont recall seeing this before, outside of Japan. Because they tried to get all the pre boards in the one line, everyone was out of order when they called the individual categories. Most GS appeared to avoid the process anyway.
Oct 14, 2023, 7:59 pm
#330
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,028
Bump 
United should change boarding process.
Wheelchairs, extra-timers (real and fakers)
First/Polaris
GS/1K ( if GS ain’t up front in the first place, too bad)
premPlus (in those markets), plats, gold
Military, silver, boarding gate carryon checkers, Chase cards
Remaining non-BE
BE
Tail end of cruise and margaritas are making the suggestions.
Edit: I forgot people using sub-two spawn props - they just board where they fall above.
Takes groups down to 7 from 9 (I think)
Delta has 10 (I thought no)
United should change boarding process.
Wheelchairs, extra-timers (real and fakers)
First/Polaris
GS/1K ( if GS ain’t up front in the first place, too bad)
premPlus (in those markets), plats, gold
Military, silver, boarding gate carryon checkers, Chase cards
Remaining non-BE
BE
Tail end of cruise and margaritas are making the suggestions.
Edit: I forgot people using sub-two spawn props - they just board where they fall above.
Takes groups down to 7 from 9 (I think)
Delta has 10 (I thought no)
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Oct 14, 2023 at 9:32 pm Reason: unneccesary