I thought the whole point of pre-boarding and the whole "new" boarding process was that one one needed to stand up until their group is called. So I'd think that the correct answer would be "stand or sit wherever you'd like". Once GS/1K is called, you can approach the gate from whatever direction you like.

As for how 1K's are treated, I'd say they are treated great relative to people with no status. Otherwise, I'd say it's about the level where you start to feel like they are treating you like a human being vs cattle.

The never ending changes to the UA boarding process has one constant - 1Ks and those who actually pay for First/Business get screwed.

I can't think of any airport where that would work consistently.

If you want to take advantage of 1K pre-boarding, you generally need to play gate lice, carefully selecting a place to stand with a clear path to the pre-boarding lane. Hopefully back far enough so that pre-boarders with earlier priority aren't blocked.

Otherwise, you risk not making the lane in time, and getting caught up with Group 1.

Yes, especially because most gate agents announce the next pre-boarding group when the one prior has not yet finished boarding. It really works best when there’s a clear pause in between each pre-group, and especially between 1K pre and Group 1 but it’s rarely executed that way. If it were, then the point of this part of the thread would be moot.

1Ks are treated well, though variably. I was a 1K for over 20 straight years before losing it after 2019. Regained it in August 2021. After a year of flying in a bizarre year as a (lifetime) gold, the difference in the interactions with the system as a 1K were very clear. We’re treated well by UA employees. UA isn’t the Ritz, but…

my beef is the 1K benefit itself. It hasn’t been good. Zero plus points cleared, zero opportunities for at booking use were available, and 1K line call wait times were historically long. No saver inventory to book into.

hopeful for a better 2022

I'm a Platinum on DL and three close family members are 1K and they complain a lot more about UA than I do DL. But more important than being Platinum is being a human being so I don't push through lines just because a Gold or Silver could end up boarding ahead of me. As a lowly Silver on UA, I think I've gotten better treatment from the UX crews on E175s in F than my family has as 1Ks in domestic F or Polaris.

I just got to 1K late last year. I have always been lingering in the Platinum level for 10+ years so this is the first time I made to 1K, thanks to the reduced threshold.
I flew 3 times after I made 1K and definitely not feeling the love.
1) I only got to pre board 1/3 times. One time the GA didn't call 1K at all so it was awkward to try to cut the Group 1 line. Another time I was a bit late and they were boarding group 3 or 4, I went to Group 1 line and no one even looked at me so I turned around and lined up behind all the rest of the group 4. Maybe I should just "merge" but I felt awkward. I think I would just go line up as Group 1. At least I wouldn't feel awkward.
2) Out of the three flights as 1K, not a single person greeted me as 1K. So I start to think this whole 1K recognition is a myth lol.
3) Ofc, not a single time I was upgraded even with PP. I used PP on two flights. There was like 4 F spaces open 24 hours before the flight and I was #2. #1 was cleared and the other 3 spaces disappeared.
4) No free snack box and no free drinks. I paid for both mine and my companion's beer and wine on the flights. All I got was the 25% kick back from my United Club card. So did I miss anything? I didn't tell the FA I am 1K. I thought they could see it.

I am starting to think this whole 1K thing is just not worth it at all. I have been a happy camper as Platinum. I don't expect to be upgraded so if I want F seat, I buy. I have United Club membership so that has been the best perk so far although I pay for it out of my pocket. Another nice part is to get free Economy Plus seats for up to 8 ppl. I have a family of 4 so that really works out great. But I don't need 1K for it. I hope 2022 will be a bit better since I will be starting flying a lot of International as 1K.

Wow, I just don't know where you 1K get free drinks. Granted I just became 1K. A week later I became 1K, I flew 3 times in 2 weeks and I had to pay for every drink. No one greeted me or even said your drink is free. I didn't feel like making a scene. But com'on, three flights all got charged.

I can't think of any airport where this wouldn't work. Unless I an in F and am worried about having room for my carry on, I usually stand fairly far from the podium maybe in the hall. Close enough that I can see whats going on, sometimes the intercom isnt setup so well.
There's always a path to get through somehow, maybe not straight. I usually just go the same way the wheel chairs go.

I guess it does depend on airport a bit if you are talking about making it in time for your slot. Though it depends on the agent too, you kind of know how many 1K's are going to be on the flight. If I'm in SFO, there's plenty of time. If I'm boarding a CRJ, I start heading towards the gate when I see the wheel chairs heading down or maybe even earlier. However in no case do I feel like I am supposed to be waiting in a specific location. I guess the expectation is that you can anticipate when you need to be at the gate podium and to plan accordingly to make sure you get there at the right time.

Was responding to your "sit wherever you like." I'm afraid that's not going to work about 90% of the time if you want to catch pre-boarding. Taking a seat is going to be an almost guaranteed miss.

You'll have to tell them you're 1K and ask for a free drink and snack, very few proactively offer these.
They can see you're a 1K but most don't bother, unfortunately.

I am new so I never really explained that I am 1K. Every time, my contactless card got charged for the single drink I ordered on the flight. So I don't think that's true. I think you do have to explain.

I see.. well lesson learned... the awkwardness is really not worth the money. I feel like begging if I had to say I am 1K and need a free something something..

Understandable. It isn't easy to explain that you're 1K and want something for free from a window seat in a loud plane, with a mask on (muffled voice).
I do it anyway because I couldn't care less what the FA or other passengers will think about me. :)

I don't set up my contactless payment for flights on purpose. Those trigger happy FAs have tried to charge me anyway, maybe they couldn't hear me those snack boxes are supposed to be complementary...bottom line, a lot of them really need to work on their customer interfacing skills.

Much like the unwillingness of FAs handing you an entire can of seltzer or ginger ale in the pre-Covid days, I am finding UA FAs have been reluctant to part ways with even main cabin snacks (e.g. pretzel, Biscoff), like they're coming out of their bottom line...geesh!

Honestly as I've been 1K since they launched the status, I would say that the service is now very poor in comparison to previous years. I've taken a few flights with UA this year (4 to be exact) and I hate the boarding - you do have to push through people in Group 1 who have often paid for First Class. They have no idea what a 1K is.
On the ground you are just another non-GS passenger.
In the air I have been told that I would secure my first choice of Entree on the two international flights I took. On the domestics, nothing but they were 90 minutes so I don't care really.

I was responding to the OP wanting to ask the GA where he should wait. You can wait anywhere. I said "sit or stand". True, if you wait til they call 1K, you may be too late depending on how many 1K's there are, you have to anticipate when they will call 1K and head over a little early. That still doesn't have much to do with where you wait before that. The location can be anywhere.