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.
================================================== ==============================
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}
Dec 28, 2018, 6:47 am
#2311
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lahaina, HI & Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,403
Rediculous. Wrire it in!
Dec 28, 2018, 6:58 am
#2312
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,349
Dec 28, 2018, 7:18 am
#2313
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,332
Another FAIL last week at IAD. Agent called disabled pax (it was a FL flight, so there were a few), then military. It turns out that the display directly above the agent's head was showing the correct order, with GS being next. So I walked up to the scanner after the military passenger entered the jetway, and the agent said, "It's not your turn -- passengers with children are next." I pointed to the screen above her head and said, "The display says, and the current policy is, for GS next." She replied, "That's not how *I* do it. Step back please." #sad
IAD has also been the one that board GS and 1K together on several occasions. It must be the “temporary” terminal atmosphere that is making changes so difficult to implement. It is stuck in the early 80s.
Dec 28, 2018, 7:53 am
#2314
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: DEN/OGG
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 1,482
I have experienced the same at IAD. It is an IAD issue. Not happy about it but writing in has not done the job yet.
IAD has also been the one that board GS and 1K together on several occasions. It must be the “temporary” terminal atmosphere that is making changes so difficult to implement. It is stuck in the early 80s.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 28, 2018 at 12:15 pm Reason: Discuss the issues, not the poster(s); OT
Dec 28, 2018, 10:32 am
#2315
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,619
I have been recently (past few months) been boarded 1K with GS. It happened so much I actually assumed it was the correct order but was promptly correct the other day on FT. This was out of smaller airports where no boarding order screen was present (MFR, EGE, EUG). Several comments above mention this as well. I guess they are suppose to announce GS, pause, families with kids.... pause, then 1K but this part of the boarding process seems loose at some locations to say the least.
Dec 28, 2018, 11:05 am
#2316
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 573
As an immigrant I find the hardest people to understand are those born in the US and insist on using nonsense words such as 'deplane'
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 28, 2018 at 12:20 pm Reason: Quote updated to reflect Moderator edit; Discuss the issue, not the poster(s)
Dec 28, 2018, 11:11 am
#2317
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,349
Dec 28, 2018, 11:16 am
#2318
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
There are some new words since Shakespeare's day ; )
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 28, 2018 at 12:21 pm Reason: Quote updated to reflect Moderator edit
Dec 28, 2018, 11:30 am
#2320
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 573
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/...nglish/deplane
There are some new words since Shakespeare's day ; )
There are some new words since Shakespeare's day ; )
agree. However deplane is a nonsense word. I'm fine with 'googling' and 'moving the needle' but deplane is a confusing word which should not be used on commercial aircraft. Mind you disembark isn't much better but at least that has 200 years of usage in written and verbal communication.
Dec 28, 2018, 11:52 am
#2321
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: UA MM Plat; AA MM Gold; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 15,866
Dec 28, 2018, 3:52 pm
#2322
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,909
In the grand scheme called life, does it really matter if you board first or in the last pre-board group? No it doesn't. It is just this sense of entitlement that has infected the world. Any pre-board will still get their carry on in the overhead and get to their seat and get their pre-departure beverage (if in F). So in the grand scheme, who cares. Arguing with the GA just makes you look like a DYKWIA.
Dec 29, 2018, 9:00 am
#2323
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO
Programs: United 1MM GS, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 283
In the grand scheme called life, does it really matter if you board first or in the last pre-board group? No it doesn't. It is just this sense of entitlement that has infected the world. Any pre-board will still get their carry on in the overhead and get to their seat and get their pre-departure beverage (if in F). So in the grand scheme, who cares. Arguing with the GA just makes you look like a DYKWIA.
Dec 30, 2018, 11:46 pm
#2324
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,195
I agree with prior posters that MCO is unique. I see a number of families in the boarding lines at HNL but nothing like at MCO and I don’t begrudge families with young kids the extra time to board. Traveling with young kids can be extremely hectic and the last thing the parents or airline need is to lose track of a young ‘un during the boarding process.
When I was active duty, we were specifically told to travel in civvies and not advertise our military status. I’m happy to let today’s service members board early, especially when the ones traveling to combat zones need to stow a bunch of gear, but it’s something I can’t relate to and I wouldn’t argue if they dropped military from preboarding when we eventually wind down active combat.
Dec 31, 2018, 5:44 am
#2325
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,115
UA's premium cabin products are currently stuck in a cycle of devaluation, and if GF is any example, then the end of Domestic F may just be a recession away. The reason UA hardly finds organic takers for premium pricing on domestic F is exactly this. UA is doing its very best to make it not worth the upsell. Sadly, those who are now rejoicing about their promoted place in the line will be the victims if that happens. Paid F pax will easily find paid F elsewhere, but CPU's won't be found when the premium cabin is gone.
There's light at the end of the tunnel though. UA made changes so 1K ranks will thin next year and the year after, which will ameliorate the situation for paid F pax. This will accelerate if we do actually slip into a recession next year. I also do believe the current aberrant boarding order will be revised once again and F will regain their internationally recognized place, especially with a new CEO that is coming from an aviation background in a future time that is less profitable than right now. One of the certainties in America is that money always trumps loyalty, eventually.
And it's not about entitlement, it's about OH space and not having to deal with the bag of the guy in 23C somehow fully occupying the bin of 1AB, which, as paid F pax know, has only 50% capacity either due to FA bag or due to equipment. If paid F gets guaranteed OH space, all this becomes a non-issue and I'm sure many will happily board last.
Last edited by mozilla; Dec 31, 2018 at 5:51 am