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}
Jan 12, 2019, 8:32 am
#2356
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,127
Flew out of D1 at IAD this morning; no one (and I mean no one) was lined up at any of the lines. A few of us were waiting off to the side of the gate, and the GA said, "1Ks? Can I get you to step up here, and I'll close off the preboard area..."
Jan 13, 2019, 9:24 pm
#2357
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,409
I had my first "real" (actually elite-heavy) flight with the new boarding procedure where I was at the gate in time, and boy was it a mess. The GA asked "all my preboards to please line up, we will begin boarding shortly," at which point some 30 pax bum-rushed the gate and then started trying to let the one or two pax with disabilities or babies through to actually pre-board. We all got on the plane in some semblance of order, I think, but I can certainly imagine paid F pax standing in the G1 line being pretty peeved, plus I passed a mass of confused pax milling around the gate ("did she say group three board? no that was pre-board. maybe it was at the other gate?", etc).
I mildly appreciate not having to line up to get my F bin space, but boy was it messy.
I mildly appreciate not having to line up to get my F bin space, but boy was it messy.
Jan 13, 2019, 9:34 pm
#2358
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: DCA
Programs: UA LT 1K, AA EXP, Bonvoy LT Titan, Avis PC, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,658
Folks that pre-board due to disability, small children, etc. should also be the last to deplane. They should wait on the plane until others exit to speed up the deplaning so others can make connections etc.
But almost always pre-boards in this situation also think they should deplane with others.
But almost always pre-boards in this situation also think they should deplane with others.
Jan 14, 2019, 12:11 pm
#2359
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,460
I had my first "real" (actually elite-heavy) flight with the new boarding procedure where I was at the gate in time, and boy was it a mess. The GA asked "all my preboards to please line up, we will begin boarding shortly," at which point some 30 pax bum-rushed the gate and then started trying to let the one or two pax with disabilities or babies through to actually pre-board. We all got on the plane in some semblance of order, I think, but I can certainly imagine paid F pax standing in the G1 line being pretty peeved, plus I passed a mass of confused pax milling around the gate ("did she say group three board? no that was pre-board. maybe it was at the other gate?", etc).
I mildly appreciate not having to line up to get my F bin space, but boy was it messy.
I mildly appreciate not having to line up to get my F bin space, but boy was it messy.
I have seen contrary reports for airports other than SFO, but in my experience even EWR is fine. At ORD everyone is positively polite.
Jan 14, 2019, 1:14 pm
#2360
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,409
For whatever it's worth, and probably tainted by selection bias (plus caveats about anecdotes vs data), I've only had preboard chaos at SFO. Maybe it's the Valley FOMO. The one time I had the groups merged ('militarygsdisabilityfamilies1k') was at SFO, which seems ironic, although that was a delayed flight.
I have seen contrary reports for airports other than SFO, but in my experience even EWR is fine. At ORD everyone is positively polite.
I have seen contrary reports for airports other than SFO, but in my experience even EWR is fine. At ORD everyone is positively polite.
Jan 14, 2019, 1:22 pm
#2361
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,392
Similar the other day at co-located SFO 92/94 (HKG and PVG departures), where there were "dueling PAs" and neither was specifying which flight was being called.
Jan 14, 2019, 1:32 pm
#2362
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
Except in rare circumstances, there’s never enough preboarders except 1K to jam a gate. Ironically, families with young kids seem to lice the gate the least.
Since 1K is right before Group 1, UA should add a 1K line at all hubs, which would both give an assigned place for 1K to stand and help ensure the GA doesn’t call all 5 preboard groups at once.
Right now some 1K jam the door, some stand aside, and some line up in group 1, which leads to a rush.
Since 1K is right before Group 1, UA should add a 1K line at all hubs, which would both give an assigned place for 1K to stand and help ensure the GA doesn’t call all 5 preboard groups at once.
Right now some 1K jam the door, some stand aside, and some line up in group 1, which leads to a rush.
Jan 14, 2019, 4:42 pm
#2363
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,342
I had been having great luck with the new boarding process after a botched boarding in IAD right after the changes went into effect. Unfortunately today it went totally wrong at LGA and I'm not sure why. Sure, it was a smaller plane but that shouldn't matter. The GA announced pre-boards would board first followed by group numbers as expected. Except when boarding started he called for disabled passengers (no one came forward); then he opened up lane 1 and called BG 1. No other preboards and everyone stormed the first lane. He also said to himself after opening lane 1, "Ah, screw it, everyone will board through lane 1 for this flight."
I happened to be standing near the front so I still had room for my bag in the overhead.
-RM
I happened to be standing near the front so I still had room for my bag in the overhead.
-RM
Jan 15, 2019, 9:21 am
#2364
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,535
A little late, but:
1/7/19 - ALB-IAD UA 4963
Agent called and paused the order correctly, although it was an ancient and tiny ERJ145, so no FC (no snack/beverage service either, but the PA system was so bad I couldn't tell why). I think there was like 1 pre-boarder, and 2 1K's.
1/7/19 - IAD-IAH UA762
Agent called and paused in the correct order, although I was the third person in the "1" lane, I stepped aside for the 3-4 1Ks to board (two folks in front of me were 1Ks, presumably and one behind me). The other guy behind me asked me what 1K was, and I told him million miles, or so I thought. So he goes ahead to the agent and says he doesn't know what that means, but it must be him. She let him on anyway (I didn't really care as it was a 767 and I had the single seat in the middle so I knew I'd have overhead bin space).
1/7/19 - IAH - SJD UA1438
This was a little more of a cluster. No pausing, so kinda a mass rush (by the time I'd arrived at the gate the line was well past the gate area and hadn't started boarding yet). No overhead bin space in first, so had to get assistance to re-jockey and ended up with my backpack (I was in bulkhead) several rows back.
1/7/19 - ALB-IAD UA 4963
Agent called and paused the order correctly, although it was an ancient and tiny ERJ145, so no FC (no snack/beverage service either, but the PA system was so bad I couldn't tell why). I think there was like 1 pre-boarder, and 2 1K's.
1/7/19 - IAD-IAH UA762
Agent called and paused in the correct order, although I was the third person in the "1" lane, I stepped aside for the 3-4 1Ks to board (two folks in front of me were 1Ks, presumably and one behind me). The other guy behind me asked me what 1K was, and I told him million miles, or so I thought. So he goes ahead to the agent and says he doesn't know what that means, but it must be him. She let him on anyway (I didn't really care as it was a 767 and I had the single seat in the middle so I knew I'd have overhead bin space).
1/7/19 - IAH - SJD UA1438
This was a little more of a cluster. No pausing, so kinda a mass rush (by the time I'd arrived at the gate the line was well past the gate area and hadn't started boarding yet). No overhead bin space in first, so had to get assistance to re-jockey and ended up with my backpack (I was in bulkhead) several rows back.
Jan 15, 2019, 9:40 am
#2365
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: DEN/OGG
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 1,482
overheard boarding DEN TO Tampa, Kansas City and Houston this morning. All GA did the all in one pre boarding call. Unbelievable. Sent email to GS.
Jan 18, 2019, 4:30 pm
#2366
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
So this is how I understood it today at LAX. The signs are ( i think two colors ) one for 1, one for 2. One is for everyone preboarding. Disabilities, with kids, military, GS and 1K. Number 2 is for Boarding group 1. 1 + 2 does no longer represent boarding group 1 and 2. And boarding groups 2-5 are called when everyone else has boarded.
Jan 18, 2019, 11:16 pm
#2367
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: UA GS 1MM / Hilton Diamond / Bonvoy Gold / Hertz PC
Posts: 396
Had a fun one the other day. I’m GS and my wife is also GS as my companion. We were traveling to IAD from our home in SFO to see my wife’s family. Along with us was our four month old and everything that comes with traveling with a four month old: stroller, diaper bag, etc etc. A bucket of fun. As I’m often the solo business traveller we made sure to be as ready and organized as possible so as not to hold up others when we boarded. They called GS and we approached the gate agent. She incredibly rudely barked that she had not called families with children yet. As she’s saying that, a fellow GS plows by us, reaches over my wife to scan his boarding pass, knocked her bag out of her hand in the process. It was one of those moments where I wish I had had a witty response or had stepped up but I was too stunned to. I as I’m picking up my wife’s bag I told the agent that we are, in fact, GS and happened to be traveling with a child. To her credit, she had saw what happened with the other passenger as well as what her own tone must have sounded like and began apologizing profusely, the other gate agent came over and helped us carry our stuff down the jetway - completely unnecessary - but a nice gesture. Never saw the guy that knocked us over to get on the plane, but when we arrived in IAD a GS was waiting for us and drove us to baggage claim. Is there a point to this story? Not really, but it does highlight the absurdity of how seriously people take “being first” and how gate agents can make some human errors but in this instance recovered nicely.
Jan 19, 2019, 9:32 am
#2368
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
Also highlights how you shouldn't make assumptions -- i.e. that two parents with a 4yo couldn't be GS, that a young person dressed casually couldn't be in F, that a person who is walking couldn't be disabled, etc., etc. Doesn't take long to look at the boarding pass before saying "I'm sorry, we're just boarding disabled and GS right now, if you stand right here we'll be boarding families next"
Jan 19, 2019, 9:39 am
#2369
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,460
So this is how I understood it today at LAX. The signs are ( i think two colors ) one for 1, one for 2. One is for everyone preboarding. Disabilities, with kids, military, GS and 1K. Number 2 is for Boarding group 1. 1 + 2 does no longer represent boarding group 1 and 2. And boarding groups 2-5 are called when everyone else has boarded.
Had a fun one the other day. I’m GS and my wife is also GS as my companion. We were traveling to IAD from our home in SFO to see my wife’s family. Along with us was our four month old and everything that comes with traveling with a four month old: stroller, diaper bag, etc etc. A bucket of fun. As I’m often the solo business traveller we made sure to be as ready and organized as possible so as not to hold up others when we boarded. They called GS and we approached the gate agent. She incredibly rudely barked that she had not called families with children yet. As she’s saying that, a fellow GS plows by us, reaches over my wife to scan his boarding pass, knocked her bag out of her hand in the process. It was one of those moments where I wish I had had a witty response or had stepped up but I was too stunned to. I as I’m picking up my wife’s bag I told the agent that we are, in fact, GS and happened to be traveling with a child. To her credit, she had saw what happened with the other passenger as well as what her own tone must have sounded like and began apologizing profusely, the other gate agent came over and helped us carry our stuff down the jetway - completely unnecessary - but a nice gesture. Never saw the guy that knocked us over to get on the plane, but when we arrived in IAD a GS was waiting for us and drove us to baggage claim. Is there a point to this story? Not really, but it does highlight the absurdity of how seriously people take “being first” and how gate agents can make some human errors but in this instance recovered nicely.
I wonder if the GS car for you at IAD was called from SFO as a service recovery attempt.
Jan 19, 2019, 9:52 am
#2370
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: UA GS 1MM / Hilton Diamond / Bonvoy Gold / Hertz PC
Posts: 396
Thats my guess. Had never had that happen simply to go to baggage claim. We arrived into the C gates (the one with the tram as opposed to the people movers). Aside from the very long walk, with a stroller it requires 4 elevators so it takes forever. The ride was hugely appreciated.