HNLbasedFlyer

I have to disagree with this - and in my opinion there are far more GS and 1K's than ever before.

I can only go by my direct experience - but I'm way farther down the waitlist than I ever have been before - which in my unscientific theory tells me there are more GS and 1K's on expensive tickets ahead of me. If I don't upgrade for cash or outright buy to a premium cabin, I'm often 10 or 15+ down the upgrade list - I just didn't have that happen prior to a year or two ago.

jsloan

It was 45/35 and 25 -- but there were several different 737 boarding times, from 35 to 45.

Or they're selling more F tickets and the number of GS / 1K is the same.

leiserom

I just made silver a couple of weeks ago mostly on the strength of a trip to the Phillipines earlier this year. I hadnt had status in 5 years(no business travel thank god). Will see what its like Thursday on a IAH to DSM regional plane. Probably no big deal.

TomA

I vote for this one.

Even in TPA, I'm sure this is the case, because in the past you would typically see only 1-2 non-upgrade pax in F. Now it is half the cabin.

JOSECONLSCREW28

There were different boarding times based on what sub aircraft one flew on. Example sub CO currently boards 757s 50 min prior to departure while sub UA boards 45 min prior to departure. Once we are one group it will be 50 min. Sub CO boards 737s 35 min prior to departure regardless of variant while sub UA boards 737-900s 45 min prior to departure common metal will see boarding times stay at 35 min or decreased to 40 min depending on variant flown.

SF1K

FullFare

I think you are seriously short-sighted an uninformed for the basis of this post. Wife and I have been Bay Area based flyers for the past 30+ yrs of FF programs. We are perennial EXP and DM. We both have about 2.5 mm eqm on UA and used to be perennial Gs's---until UA's service went into the toilet a few years ago. We just couldn't stand the lousy service, especially out of SFO. So we were content to stay at Platinum for life, which worked well since we were in Boarding Group 1 all the time. Our total spend on the big 3 legacies has been about $35K annually. AA gets the 12, DM gets the 15, and other carriers get what's left over. But we're not burning $12K for UA because the service just doesn't warrant it.

But, for the most part, we always purchased first class fares, whether discounted or not. We style ourselves too old to fly coach, and that is it. We always try to book row 1 so we can get on and off first, stow our luggage, and not have somebody in front of us reclining into our lap. We do it for AA and DL, too.

I dispute your contention that other worldwide airlines board elites before F/J customers international settings. I fly them, too, all over Europe and Asia, and I do not see that. My experience is the contrary.

So I'm damned if I'm an F passenger and going to board behind a 1K guy who didn't buy a first class ticket. Not gonna do that, and I think that differentiation is flat out nuts. Your argument for defending this carrier for doing this totally escapes me. I can afford to walk with my feet, and, assuredly, will do so if they propose this nonsense. Your thesis that I, and others, are upgraders from cheap fares is short sighted and ill founded. You should consider otherwise.

sexykitten7

Me too! Now if we could just get silvers in there. It's been said a million times: it is utterly idiotic that UA treats 25k mile flyers and credit card holders alike! And as you may have guessed, I'll be falling back to Silver next year.

elitefreak

This is HUGE. As a MM'er *G, a change I REALLY like.

HNLbasedFlyer

So - when I read your post, and I'm trying to say this nicely, I don't think you are the type of customer UA really wants anyway. You are clearly unhappy with UA - it is a last resort - and you are an infrequent flier of the airline. The planes are full, you don't buy the ticket, someone else.

I guess I'll counter your argument that UA would probably prefer to make me happy - and other 1K's - over First class fliers who are infrequent fliers.

bldr1k

I don't think there are more GS. There may be more 1Ks as people travel more. However, this has nothing to do with the waitlist. They are selling first cheap, up-selling it, etc. and upgrades are way down. Even as GS I rarely get upgraded domestically. Two weeks ago I flew DEN-SJC on an expensive M fare and didn't get upgraded. They have also seem to have changed the list to not show checkmarks for people that got upgraded ahead of 24 hours.

GoSh4rks

ANA certainly boards their Diamonds before J (on a flight without F.)

tryathlete

Tennen

IIRC, it was GS and F, followed by 1K and C on the red carpet (I could be wrong). In the regular lane, 1Ps lined up first.

They specifically say "less crowding" in the email. They also mention "balanced groups and better recognition" on their Introducing Better Boarding page. They can't have it both ways. In order to have less crowding and balanced groups, they need to spread the passengers over more groups. My suggested order simply provides a name to the new group they've already added for 1Ks. (Ok, so I've also reshuffled things to what I think is more balanced... ) My proposal also meets the better recognition part of their mantra - F/J (over most elites in Y), 1Ks (over Plats), Golds (over Silvers), and Silvers (over $95 cc holders). The one good thing that UA did was to move Golds ahead of cc holders, but they really should do more and treat those $3k Silvers better; it seems AA at least gets that part right.

Yes, in both UA's new process and my own suggestions, Plats get shafted a bit, but honestly, UA's just aligning itself with its competitors - all board their 75K tiers with the 50K tiers (AA, AC, AS, DL). What these airlines don't do, however, is board premium cabin pax with those mid-tier elites. AFAIK, every airline manages to board F/J either with or ahead of top tier elites (excluding invitation only levels), so UA's new method is a sure way to P off... err, annoy (and drive away) paid F & J, like kokonutz.

Chukiechz

departed SNA today. Gate agent rapid fired off GS and 1K in the same breath, skipping the young children under 2. Barely took a step forward before a few other 1Ks rushed up.