WineCountryUA

"Used in the past" as this changed system has "pre-boarding" and six distinct BGs.

Repooc17

Thanks. Maybe put it on the website?

CApreppie

I'm sure mentioned, but they've done studies after studies and the fastest is pure random boarding but the closest anyone does that is Southwest but they sell early boarding, etc. so it's not true random boarding.

I think WILMA was next fastest, but it gets bogged down as its not true WILMA with elites and pre-boarding and nobody wants to be separated from other family/traveling members.

The Dilbertian in me says - someone new to United in charge of operational efficiency goes we have to make change and goes back to something a predecessor did and passes it off as innovative. Just do the opposite or something different than your predecessor and you'll look "brilliant" even if it wasn't broke to begin with.

United has used WILMA before. Let's see how the revival goes.

narvik

Oh, this is 100% not United's fault.
The headlines are designed to attract the most attention, not to be accurate.

entropy

This is in the "no big deal" file. Nobody with status has any difference in boarding priority which is most of the people here. .

1P

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned the problems that arise when, say, a group of three people traveling together, sitting in the same row in window-middle-aisle, are compelled to board in three different groups. WILMA only works for single passengers and fails when there are groups.

Boraxo doesn't want to talk about when certain groups of passengers should board, so I will. It aways strikes me as inanely stupid to announce that "We're asking passengers who need a little more time to board first". Because they take more time and therefore hold up the rest of the plane, the obvious place they should board is last, not first. It's not hard to understand why it's preferable to put passengers with small children next to last, and passengers in wheelchairs last of all. That way those who need more time can take all the time they need without holding up everyone else. Only the other day I was on a flight where six wheelchairs boarded ahead of everyone else and delayed boarding by 15 minutes by the time they had all been escorted and settled, one by one.

The other related issue is where to put passengers in wheelchairs. The obvious place for ease of access/egress is in an aisle seat, especially if they are boarding last rather than first, but that may cause problems for those in the middle and window if they need to use the bathroom. A window seat is also problematic if the disabled passenger needs to use the bathroom her/himself. Airlines probably need to designate particular rows and seats for wheelchair passengers which would make life easier for everyone. In planes with bathrooms at the rear, why not have the last two rows, those nearest the lavs and the rear FAs, allocated for any disabled passengers who may be travelling.

SPN Lifer

The plane takes off at the same time for everybody.

If people are going to be held up and kept waiting, it is preferable that the greatest number possible be allowed to do so in the relatively spacious boarding area rather than in the restricted confines of an aircraft.

Allowing those who need more time to board first serves the best interests of everyone.

vicontt

They should stop calling it 'people who need more time' as everyone needs more time to store the 10 roller bags, and start calling it 'people with disabilities'. They should also require people to show a proof of disability.

PTahCha

PremiumPlus passengers have Premier Access, so they are included in that manner. But yes, it does feel like they got left out, as that is the only cabin not mentioned.

They are not going to - they are not going to deal with protected health information.

vicontt

Nope, there is nothing protected about the mere statement that a person have a disability limiting their mobility. In the same way 'disabled person' placard on the mirror does't disclose it.

PTahCha

Except disability is not limited only to mobility.

kac2138

Couldn't United just charge for carry-ons and NOT charge for checked luggage? That means boarding would be super quick and those that refused (or couldn't) check could would still be paying. Status exemptions etc (Premier gets 1 free carry on).

LarryJ

All passengers traveling on the same reservation (PNR) will board in the highest (earliest) group held by anyone on the reservation. i.e. one person has a UA CC and qualified for Group 2 then all passengers on the reservation gets Group 2.

This is controlled by Title 14, CFR 382.
..
The "needing additional time or assistance" language comes directly from the regulation. There's nothing which says that the airline must use that language in their announcements, but I don't find it surprising that the regulation's verbiage is frequently used. That part of the regulation also prohibits the airline from requiring documentation as it specifies passengers who "self identify". In other paragraphs, the regulation specifically lists the instances when documentation can be required by the airline.

While faster boarding is one of the goals of the overall boarding process, it is not the highest goal. US airlines generally do not charge for carry-on bags because US travelers strongly prefer to carry-on their bags. That results in a slower, less convenient boarding and deplaning process but it accommodates the preferences of more passengers.

I believe Frontier charges for the carry-on, the personal item is free. I haven't flown on them to see how well it works.

mfirst

Yes - this pre-boarding "extra help", "children under 2" and "military" cant/won't be touched - and even discussing it will probably create problems here.
Much as the idea of special sections for different "types" of people (not to mention 'people of size', pets, etc - where do we stop?) all reflect PR nightmares more than any benefits from a reality that sometimes they might make sense.

Which gets back to my earlier question - what real benefit, especially in time, does UA expect to accomplish with this?
complete boarding 2 minutes earlier?
- yeah right
- leave 2 minutes earlier?
- arrive 2 minutes earlier
- 2 minutes less jet fuel
- 2 minutes less FA/Pilot pay

remember, almost by definition these are people who fly in frequently - why make it more complicated for them?
(not to mention the previous comments about how this will work with people traveling in groups)

I am all in favor of trying to make a system/process more efficient - but I think I am missing something here????

VRFast

"Note that multiple customers in the same economy reservation will receive the same and highest applicable boarding group, excluding Basic Economy customers in boarding Group 6."
"Highest boarding group" = lowest number BG, or are they demoting everyone on that itin?
Assuming that several people on the same itin are seated window/middle/aisle, that would be most efficient. I'm more in favor of going (back) to boarding back to front for BG > 2, although like someone had suggested, that could cause poaching overhead space at the front of the Y cabin. However, I think the FAs play a role in policing this as well.