jimdarcy

Will Explorer card holders that used their card to book a ticket still be in BG2 with the new WILMA boarding plan on 10/26?

porciuscato

Yup. I have a series of photos of escalators in different countries. In Japan, Germany, England.... people all stand on one side; those who want to go faster walk up the other side. Not in the US: everybody just stands wherever they want and everybody gets to go slow. Similar issues with boarding on United.

Beyond that, there's the issue of bag size. Most Euro and Asian carriers enforce bag size limits strictly. United has completely given up on that. I have experienced 20+ minute delays because they had to take so many bags off the plane. Even BE pax board with big roller bags (they board with "people needing extra time" and nobody stops them).


PS: Sadly, I have still failed in my life ambition to meet BMW92Fan, Tom Stuker, or Mr. Pillows on a flight or in a lounge. Flying 200k a year, it seems like it has to happen sometime.....

bmwe92fan

Sorry buddy - we just got back to NYC from Tokyo -- I'll be heading back there on November 1 and I'll have the PL to myself (morning flight) -- but still won't eat the food! Occasionally they have decent Champagne for my wife -- but you are right that the wine selection has gone WAY down... The Sauvignon Blanc they serve now is a headache in a bottle. Funny that the regular club will offer Kim Crawford SB (if you pay) -- but the flagship gets the junk?

I'm actually looking at routing via ORD (which I think gives way better food & service than most PL's) just to have a decent meal - and save a few bucks)... $9k roundtrip to TYO is a joke....

FindingFoodFluency

Just waiting for the day when there are as many groups as there are occupied seats

FlyingHighlander

works for Southwest 😁

docbert

Right. The easiest way to speed up boarding is to not charge for checked bags. But UA has obviously made the conscious decision that it's better off taking additional revenue for checked bags, and/or reducing the number of bags that get checked (thus reducing their cost of processing those bags, loading/unloading them, etc) - even if it means a few minutes longer of boarding time. And I'm sure (financially) they are correct in that decision.

If United's primary goal was to make the boarding process as quick and easy as possible they would have free checked bags, double the width of the aisles on the planes, and runs jetways to the rear door on the plane so that door could be used as well. But obviously none of that makes sense financially, so it doesn't happen. On the other hand they have seemingly deciding that adding a BG6 does make sense financially, so that's where we are.

WineCountryUA

What comes around, goes around

pmUA 2005 NYT article on changes to UA boarding procedure (i.e., "wilma")

pmUA 2006 New Boarding Method: Wilma

pmUA 2007 Whatever happened to WILMA?

pmUA used WILMA until the merger (2012?) or just before

exerda

Yes, according to the other thread. The primary charges were to move Basic Economy back to BG6 with 3-4-5; being the WILMA groups.

SPN Lifer

Which Chase United credit cards qualify? "How low can you go?" Explorer? Gateway?

If on the same PNR, board with the earliest member. If on separate PNRs, give the biggest bag to the earliest.

FlyingHighlander

Gateway (no annual fee) doesnt get any boarding perk. I belive the other cards all do.

jasonp622

half the plane are 1K. another 20% board with someone in their group in a higher boarding class. this will make no difference

jimdarcy

Thanks

giporlos

If anything.... I expect more wheel chairs.... :/

DCEsquire

Only 1k right?

DCEsquire

Sorry - just saw this. Thank you 1mm/Gold. Phew.