Kacee

It's an individual focused culture vs. a group focused culture. Japan is an obvious example of the latter, and this is the main reason JL and NH can board a widebody in 20 minutes. To the extent your reference to "clueless" means pax not being aware of the delay they're causing, that's certainly true, but it's not because they're less intelligent, it's because they're oblivious to their impact on those around them.

PTahCha

It's all relative - I witnessed a middle-aged 5'7" lady pushing past the greeting FA, almost knocking the FA down, to get to her seat as if she was on the Amazing Race.

halls120

Let's be honest - too many Americans are incredibly self-centered.

WineCountryUA

I think this thread was drifted out-of-scope for the UA forum -- let's return to discussing the UA boarding procedures

For those wishing to continue the general discussion, perhaps Discovery Channel's MythBusters Take on the Inefficiencies of Plane Boarding

WineCountryUA
UA coModerator

manstein58

A GA at EWR-if you go through there a lot you know whom I am talking about-seems to relish botching boarding. Yesterday, he called "Families with small children, the disabled, 100K, and Platinum." When I mentioned he missed " Military, Global Services", he laughed and said "I know". Only the best

ftweb

I am getting increasingly fed up with 1K pre-boarding. How is this supposed to work in a 1K-heavy hub like SFO? It seems like hub-based 1Ks might try to form a vaguely orderly line, but then other 1Ks assume such a long line must be group 1 and just cut in front of you, or group 1 customers think 1K is the same as group 1 (so if you ask "is this the 1K line?" people often answer yes whether or not it is).

The other day I had three 1Ks shove in front of me and my kids (also 1K) just because they didn't think we were 1K (and had no sense of politeness). The week before I had some group 1 customers clog up the 1K line and prevent me from boarding while other 1Ks just shoved their way through. It's also often unclear where 1Ks are supposed to line up--at some gates it's through line 1 or next to line 1, at others there's a different place to cut the line on the other side of the counter. The G gates at SFO are particularly bad, because there seem to be two lines at each side of the counter, none of them for 1K, and the gates get so crowded that it's hard to move around.

Are we really supposed to treat 1K pre-boarding like some kind of contact sport where we all just shove each other out of the way and claw our way onto the aircraft? I mean I like the idea of making 1K boarding feel special like GS, but this just doesn't seem to work in practice when there are more than a few dozen 1Ks on a plane, which is essentially any widebody out of SFO.

Maybe I'm missing something. Is there some unwritten etiquette for 1K pre-boarding, or at least some more effective methodology for navigating a crowded gate as a 1K?


Where exactly am I supposed to pre-board (photo: EWR)?

VRFast

Look on the bright side, this mess will be less at least after Feb 1, 2024. Perhaps even after Feb 1, 2023....

Lux Flyer

Clearly this is an endemic problem. They should just get rid of 1Ks preboarding, and have them board after first class or a part of a specific boarding group. Problem solved.

tarheelnj

My two approaches for wide-body plane pre-boarding: If I really don't need to be the first 1K to pre-board, I try to stand in a place with a clear path to the GA (not in Group 1 line where I have to get around other people). Even when I've been the last to pre-board, I've never had an issue storing luggage. I realize most of you are saying, "sure, but halfway through the 1K pre-boarding they announce Group 1, that group surges forward, and you have to go into DYKWIA mode to get through." Yes, that is a risk. The second approach, where I feel like I really need to board right away (e.g., when I'm in a seat where I know the crew has already claimed the overhead space above me) is to go to the GA just before boarding is about to start and ask politely where 1Ks are supposed to stand. It sounds like a rookie move, but at least you know what their expectations are.

Different approach for narrowbodies, especially EMB17x planes with very limited overhead storage, where getting on the plane as soon as possible is useful.

lotemblizej

The current system works for me. I look for where there pre-boarding starts (which is usually a different place than the Group 1 line up), then wait for those needing disability/military/USG/families with small children and know 1K is next. I find it much nicer than when I had to wait in the Group 1 line, which at some airports is truly chaotic. Pre-boarding is especially helpful on widebodies and longer flights, because it gives me time to settle in, use the lavatory before the "real" boarding begins.

seanp7

Your photo is definitely the unfortunate extreme when it's really jammed up. 1K's should never stand in Group 1, and at EWR I've never had an issue with 1K pre-boarding by hanging near the gate in the pre-boarding 'area'. Even on widebodies. Have I been lucky?

This seems sensible to me, as it also makes yourself known to the GA. I sometimes do this at non-US locations (without a dedicated 1K rope/line like CDG, GRU).

UAFAM

I hope UA follow DL and get rid of 1K pre-boarding and instead give priority to first class passengers:

1. People with disability, active military, ...
2. GS
3. First class
4. Family with kids < 2
5. Group 1 , ...

Kacee

Ditto.

There's no perfect boarding system. Many airports don't have enough space in the boarding area, GAs sometimes make up rules of their own, and passengers often don't listen to announcements, follow the rules, or display even minimal courtesy or common sense. No boarding process is going to fix these constants.

And no matter what system UA (or any other airline) uses, there will be complaints that the system is broken and needs to be changed.

Personally I'm fine with the status quo. I'll add that UA does a very good job these days of boarding at the published time, which is much appreciated (and something that other airlines are not nearly so good at).

PTahCha

As we all know, there are travelers who either feel entitled or lack of awareness of others, or both. I vividly remember one guy who cut the line in front of me, and pretend he couldn't hear me when I told him that he just cut the line. It just so happens that he was sitting across the aisle from me, and decided to cover himself from head to toe with the airline-provided blanket so he can get some sleep. Weirdo.

That seems sensible and appropriate.

drewguy

UA just needs to get over calling what is really "group 2" group 1. Or create a third lane of preboarders. If they're going to have a 1K preboarding group, then give it a separate line, whether as "group 1" or something else.

In my experience, the other preboarders rarely create a line problem - there aren't too many GSes, military, and disabled are usually up front anyway along with children under 2. It's really the number of 1Ks that create a possible problem, especially at hubs but not only (because at non-hubs often the waiting area is smaller).