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}
Oct 15, 2018, 7:42 am
#2116
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,090
So far, at IAD, ATL, SFO and LAX, it has been called correctly, but they sure do go through it quick. If a GS or 1K does not appear the second after they announce, it is on to Group 1.
Oct 15, 2018, 9:31 pm
#2117
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: 42,211
Poorly trained GA's and FA's that don't enforce OH stowage rules. On my last TATL I flew KLM, and the FA's were positioned throughout the cabin during the boarding process, ensuring passengers used the correct OH space and helping bins get arranged properly to optimize stowage.
Either way, SQ stuffed almost 500 people into a 380 faster than UA can stuff 180 people into a 737, and I never saw the line stall out at the door - people came in, and kept moving, and there was never any backup while people stood like imbeciles wondering what to do with their bags or how to sit down.
So the best answer might be to arm FAs with cattle prods in order to keep people moving rather than UA keep fiddling with the lane assignments.
Oct 15, 2018, 9:35 pm
#2118
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
Either way, SQ stuffed almost 500 people into a 380 faster than UA can stuff 180 people into a 737, and I never saw the line stall out at the door - people came in, and kept moving, and there was never any backup while people stood like imbeciles wondering what to do with their bags or how to sit down.
Oct 15, 2018, 9:45 pm
#2119
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,025
Oct 15, 2018, 11:18 pm
#2120
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
Oct 16, 2018, 12:22 am
#2121
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,025
Oct 16, 2018, 4:37 am
#2122
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC 35K, SPG GOLD
Posts: 264
UA3489 YYZ to EWR today:
1) disability 0
2) family 0
3) GS ~4
4) Group 1 -- me so I don't know after.
no 1K called.
1) disability 0
2) family 0
3) GS ~4
4) Group 1 -- me so I don't know after.
no 1K called.
Oct 16, 2018, 4:39 am
#2123
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 957
Two recent flights out of EWR, and the GAs called it correctly but just rolled through the pre-board. Literally just continued reading the pre-board list without pause, then waited approximately 30 seconds and called BG1. Both almost exactly the same. EWR-MSP and EWR-CHS.
It actually worked ok because the GS and 1Ks were in their own little lines and BG1 didn't storm the gate when they were called- they allowed the pre's to board before they hopped behind them.
Last quarter unexpected TATL is going to push me into 1K next year, so my initial anger as a plat at this new process will abate for about 13 months.
It actually worked ok because the GS and 1Ks were in their own little lines and BG1 didn't storm the gate when they were called- they allowed the pre's to board before they hopped behind them.
Last quarter unexpected TATL is going to push me into 1K next year, so my initial anger as a plat at this new process will abate for about 13 months.
Oct 16, 2018, 5:12 am
#2124
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,604
Actually, this is not really true - on the SQ flight where I was in coach, passengers brought on no less or more carry-on bags of a similar size that I see every time I fly UA, and the FA's were not running around re-arranging bins or bags any less or more than on UA (where I see FAs cleaning messily loaded bins) because people seemed to know what to do when they came on board and did so quickly. In fact, I rarely see much of a bag discrepancy between the US and the Asian countries I travel to, I believe the US 'kitchen sink' theory is a myth compared with Asia, but perhaps Europe is different?.
Oct 16, 2018, 6:42 am
#2125
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: EWR
Programs: UA 1.65M , Platinum, 1K Emeritus, UC Lifetime , HHonors Gold, Presidential Plus card holder
Posts: 697
EWR-PBI on Friday used a recorded boarding process. It worked very well. I expect this template to be used more often as it obviously had the right order with pauses.
PBI-EWR on Sunday had a glitch with a wheel chair arriving after pre-board. The crowd in BG1 was ruly and polite allowing the passenger and family to move ahead.
This went smoothly because BG1 reacted appropriately this time.
PBI-EWR on Sunday had a glitch with a wheel chair arriving after pre-board. The crowd in BG1 was ruly and polite allowing the passenger and family to move ahead.
This went smoothly because BG1 reacted appropriately this time.
Oct 16, 2018, 9:58 am
#2126
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UA 1K & 1MM/AA Gold & 1MM/HH Gold/Marriott Titanium
Posts: 2,924
Boarding at DCA for the 1345 departure to ORD, only one gate agent and she seemed very flustered for some reason. Plane arrived late but also seems like a family couldn't locate their gate checked stroller.
She boarded people with disabilities, waited a few minutes, military personnel, waited a few minutes and then - 1K, Global Services and Platinum members! Quite the rush at the gate...
She boarded people with disabilities, waited a few minutes, military personnel, waited a few minutes and then - 1K, Global Services and Platinum members! Quite the rush at the gate...
Oct 16, 2018, 10:01 am
#2127
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,025
This can't be that complicated - it's two characters ("1K") at the end of the pre-boarding sequence they've been using for years 
Oct 17, 2018, 5:13 pm
#2128
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC 35K, SPG GOLD
Posts: 264
Tuesday on UA79 EWR to NRT. I got to the gate and the group 1 line is like 100 ppl long. I put myself in line. They called GS who were next to the podium waiting. Then BG1. No family military 1K etc. 90% ppl in the G1 line were not in group 1. It was very chaotic.
Oct 17, 2018, 5:46 pm
#2129
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,271
EWR-NRT: Group 1/2 lines very long, basically circling the gate area becoming a general mob of people. I listened during preboarding as they called, GS, disabled, military, then moved on to Group 1 skipping 1K. While boarding group 1, people (some in the group 1 line) would just walk straight up to the podium. The person infront of me was clearly Group 3 but still allowed to board.
NRT-SFO: Group 1/2 line but a separate 1K line. Lines were very clear and well organized. Called GS, disabled, military, Then 1K.
SFO-EWR: Mob of people in front of Group 1/2 sign. It looked like the 1K's organized their own line next to the mob so I got in line. GA called, GS, diasbled, military, then 1K and we boarded fairly orderly.
So given the number of 1K's vs GS, disabled, military, I think it def makes sense to have a separate 1K line, at least at hub airports.
NRT-SFO: Group 1/2 line but a separate 1K line. Lines were very clear and well organized. Called GS, disabled, military, Then 1K.
SFO-EWR: Mob of people in front of Group 1/2 sign. It looked like the 1K's organized their own line next to the mob so I got in line. GA called, GS, diasbled, military, then 1K and we boarded fairly orderly.
So given the number of 1K's vs GS, disabled, military, I think it def makes sense to have a separate 1K line, at least at hub airports.
Oct 17, 2018, 8:45 pm
#2130
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Plt, FB Silver
Posts: 848
Chase, are you listening? (I doubt UA is.) I spend $450 per year on the Club Card. I've done this ever since United annonuced that Premier Silvers were too entitled and I stopped earning status. If you turn Group 2 boarding into a free-for-all with everyone who got a free Explorer card last week, it will downgrade my Club card and I'll consider switching back to the Citi Executive AAdvantage card. Which means I'll move some of my flying back to AA (in case you're actually listening, UA).