Jan 19, 2017, 11:05 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Source: United Boarding Process
We encourage you to make yourself comfortable while you wait for your group to be called, and we’ll let you know when we’re ready for you to board. Late arriving customers in Groups 1 and 2 are welcome to continue boarding through the blue lane at any time.
* Customers who have purchased a Basic Economy ticket will be in the last boarding group, except for Premier members, Chase Cardmembers of qualifying cards and Star Alliance Gold members, who will still receive their priority boarding.
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Pre Sept 2018 process
Pre-Boarding
General boarding (Window Seats, then Middle Seats, then Aisle)
Customers who have purchased a Basic Economy ticket will be in the last boarding group, with the exception of Premier members, Chase Cardmembers of qualifying cards and Star Alliance Gold members, who will still receive their priority boarding.
Note: If you’re traveling with a companion and one of you has a higher boarding status, you both may board with the earlier group.
Note: Self Boarding Gates are being tested at the following gates...
sUA Boarding Times by Aircraft (AFA)
Previous thread: United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [Revised, May 2013]
New changes (effective 18 Sept 2018)
You will see some new boarding lane signs in the gate area that will guide you through the boarding process. There will now be two lanes that are color coded : to begin, Group 1 will board through the blue lane and Group 2 will board through the green lane. The remaining Groups 3-5 will then board through the green lane when called, and Groups 1 and 2 can continue to board through the blue lane .We encourage you to make yourself comfortable while you wait for your group to be called, and we’ll let you know when we’re ready for you to board. Late arriving customers in Groups 1 and 2 are welcome to continue boarding through the blue lane at any time.
Boarding groups
Pre-boarding
- Unaccompanied minors
- Customers with disabilities
- Active members of the military
- United Global Services® members
- Families traveling with children age 2 and younger
- Premier® 1K® members
Group 1
- Premier Platinum members
- Premier Gold members
- Star Alliance™ Gold members
- Customers seated in premium cabins: United Polaris®, United First® and United Business®
Group 2
- Premier Silver members
- Star Alliance Silver members
- Customers who have purchased Premier Access® or Priority Boarding
- United℠ Explorer, Club, Presidential Plus℠ and Awards Cardmembers
Groups 3 – 5
- Economy Plus®
- United Economy®
- Basic Economy*
* Customers who have purchased a Basic Economy ticket will be in the last boarding group, except for Premier members, Chase Cardmembers of qualifying cards and Star Alliance Gold members, who will still receive their priority boarding.
Pre Sept 2018 process
Pre-Boarding
- Unaccompanied minors
- Customers with disabilities
- Uniformed members of the U.S. military
- Families traveling with children age two and younger
- United Global Services® members
- Group 1: Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, Business/Polaris Business, and First/Polaris First.
- Group 2: Premier Gold, Star Gold, Premier Silver, Star Silver, MileagePlus Presidential Plus, Club, Explorer and Awards, purchased Premier Access
General boarding (Window Seats, then Middle Seats, then Aisle)
- Group 3 - Window Seats
- Group 4 - Middle & Aisle Seats (Aisle Seats on UA Express)
- Group 5 - Basic Economy
Customers who have purchased a Basic Economy ticket will be in the last boarding group, with the exception of Premier members, Chase Cardmembers of qualifying cards and Star Alliance Gold members, who will still receive their priority boarding.
Note: If you’re traveling with a companion and one of you has a higher boarding status, you both may board with the earlier group.
Note: Self Boarding Gates are being tested at the following gates...
- IAH - Gate C25/C26 - See Post 2960, Includes YouTube video from CO777DAL
- IAH - Gate E4 - Old test from pmCO days, See Thread Here
- BOS - Self boarding gates are now back in *LIMITED* use at least at gates B25 and B26
sUA Boarding Times by Aircraft (AFA)
Previous thread: United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [Revised, May 2013]
United's Current Boarding Process (with Wiki) [2016-forward]{Archive}
Sep 21, 2018, 10:31 am
#1636
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bay Area - East Bay
Programs: UA 1k, AS 75k, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 637
I think there are more winners than losers in this new system (though why they felt the need to shove everyone in BG0 and BG1 instead of just renumbering groups is irritating). I happen to be one of the losers (Plat who flies paid F/J about 25% of the time), so of course I'm not happy, and will complain here on FT 
I'm having a 'poke the bruise' sort of day today, using the upgrade list on my flight this evening to try and estimate how many people will board in front of me if I keep my usual place at the end of BG1, and estimating the corresponding probability that there won't be overhead space for me in 1B and I'll have to stow my purse back in Y
I'm having a 'poke the bruise' sort of day today, using the upgrade list on my flight this evening to try and estimate how many people will board in front of me if I keep my usual place at the end of BG1, and estimating the corresponding probability that there won't be overhead space for me in 1B and I'll have to stow my purse back in Y
Sep 21, 2018, 10:38 am
#1637
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,989
Sep 21, 2018, 10:42 am
#1638
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,985
Maybe you're looking for something like Greyhound.
To be clear, the new policy doesn't affect me. I'll still choose to board at tail end of BG1 and suffer even more of the dire indignity/mistreatment UA is heaping on the BG1 customers since I'll be last in line to board. I hope I survive
To be clear, the new policy doesn't affect me. I'll still choose to board at tail end of BG1 and suffer even more of the dire indignity/mistreatment UA is heaping on the BG1 customers since I'll be last in line to board. I hope I survive
Sep 21, 2018, 11:02 am
#1639
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,989
Sep 21, 2018, 11:17 am
#1640
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: GEG/DEN/ATL
Programs: UA 1K, TK E+, AS MVPG, SPG&Marriott Plat, HHD, Hertz PC
Posts: 406
Yet we still don’t get to board before families with children under 2 as 1Ks. :sigh:
Sep 21, 2018, 11:17 am
#1641
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,985
Sep 21, 2018, 11:20 am
#1642
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,581
Well - I'm flying SFO-SAN today, SAN-EWR Sunday, and EWR-HNL Wednesday so for entertainment, I'll get a firsthand look at how this is working.
It seems thus far the recap is, 2 infrequent fliers hate the new system, a bunch of people are indifferent, and the majority like it......
I think this boarding will stick - with the lounges up and running, pre-boarding for anyone in international biz should be minimal and UA has decided to double down on 1K's - and I think that is a good card to play.
It seems thus far the recap is, 2 infrequent fliers hate the new system, a bunch of people are indifferent, and the majority like it......
I think this boarding will stick - with the lounges up and running, pre-boarding for anyone in international biz should be minimal and UA has decided to double down on 1K's - and I think that is a good card to play.
This isn't the Soviet Union saying you have one choice... Aeroflot. I'm not understanding the point of complaining about a boarding process (changes to which seem to have upset 1% or 2% of their customers) when complainants simultaneously claim they have other options.
I'm having a 'poke the bruise' sort of day today, using the upgrade list on my flight this evening to try and estimate how many people will board in front of me
It drove me a bit crazy so I had to stop.
AA lets paid FC pax choose their meal in advance. ^
Sep 21, 2018, 11:35 am
#1643
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lahaina, HI & Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,403
I think I may have a solution to your issue. UA should add another pre-board group right behind 1Ks with it's own special announcement "Now boarding next important and exclusive group, our First Class Cabin".
Sep 21, 2018, 11:46 am
#1644
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,581
Sep 21, 2018, 12:05 pm
#1645
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,878
Here's a video of the new boarding process ; )
Sep 21, 2018, 12:09 pm
#1646
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SFO/TPA
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 199
Sep 21, 2018, 12:13 pm
#1647
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 4,101
Choices are good and you have one: board dead last or get the best possible overhead bin.
Sep 21, 2018, 12:17 pm
#1648
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SFO/TPA
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 199
Of course DM’s get better treatment. That’s not what this thread is about. This thread is about boarding order. Newsflash: DM’s and First board together in Premium. And it works just fine.
Sep 21, 2018, 12:31 pm
#1649
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,136
My second flight was a little bit of a mess due to a lengthly delay. The gate had the straps pulled across the "gap", and G1 was empty, so I just put myself in the #1 spot in G1 thinking the straps would not be pulled back and standing to the side may result in an issue.
Of course all the GS stood in front of the strap, and the 1Ks who got the memo did the same, and those who did not were in G1 with me. Prior to boarding, the GA pulled the straps back and moved pre-boards through the "gap" - when she finally called for 1Ks to preboard, there was a mad dash from the group in front of the straps, myself and the 1Ks behind me causing the GA to yell "WOW" as she was converged on from multiple angles. I guess being a widebody flight with quite a few 1Ks didn't help the matter.
Lesson from the experience - I am skipping the line going forward and just standing aside for pre-boarding.
Of course all the GS stood in front of the strap, and the 1Ks who got the memo did the same, and those who did not were in G1 with me. Prior to boarding, the GA pulled the straps back and moved pre-boards through the "gap" - when she finally called for 1Ks to preboard, there was a mad dash from the group in front of the straps, myself and the 1Ks behind me causing the GA to yell "WOW" as she was converged on from multiple angles. I guess being a widebody flight with quite a few 1Ks didn't help the matter.
Lesson from the experience - I am skipping the line going forward and just standing aside for pre-boarding.
Sep 21, 2018, 12:44 pm
#1650
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,989
This thread is EXACTLY about better treatment - 1Ks/Golds are getting treated better during boarding order at United and that's what the discussion is about...
Answer's pretty simple. Sounds like boarding order is pretty important in your airline selection. United's not for you. Not sure why you're spending so much time here if you've gone to another airline
However, if your threat to not fly United evaporates (as most similar threats do) and we're ever on the same flight and you're in F, I can guarantee I won't be one of the 1Ks boarding ahead of you. You can have my bin space.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Sep 21, 2018 at 12:50 pm
