Boarding gates offer red carpet preference to F, C, GS & 1K pax at SFO
Dec 2, 2006, 8:34 am
#31
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Ti, UA Silver
Posts: 5,036
Line cutting?
First off, I like the idea of a separate line and hope it spreads. However, I'm wondering if it's going to create problems occasionally. I was boarding DEN-LAX yesterday with my GF. She was shoping, and we were a tiny bit delayed getting to the gate (about 2 minutes after the initial boarding call for elites etc.). Naturally, 75% of the pax were already in line so we took our place at the back of the queue (we didn't get to board with the elites and overhead space was a bit of a challenge). Would a separate line for elites have allowed me to bypass all the GMs waiting in the regular line, and how pissed off would they all have been seeing me cut in front of them? I probably wouldn't take advantage of this myself, but I can see it causing some conflict down the line.
Dec 2, 2006, 9:30 am
#32
Join Date: Feb 2004
Programs: AA 'kettle', Marriott Gold, ICH Gld, Hertz 5*
Posts: 5,258
I assume that's one of the purposes of the additional lane, to allow those elites/premium pax who don't make it to the gate for the early boarding call to get on the plane expediently.
I wouldn't hesitate to use the lane for such. The stares would be brief and the convenience great.
Pat
I wouldn't hesitate to use the lane for such. The stares would be brief and the convenience great.
Pat
Would a separate line for elites have allowed me to bypass all the GMs waiting in the regular line, and how pissed off would they all have been seeing me cut in front of them? I probably wouldn't take advantage of this myself, but I can see it causing some conflict down the line.
Dec 2, 2006, 9:59 am
#33
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
First off, I like the idea of a separate line and hope it spreads. However, I'm wondering if it's going to create problems occasionally. I was boarding DEN-LAX yesterday with my GF. She was shoping, and we were a tiny bit delayed getting to the gate (about 2 minutes after the initial boarding call for elites etc.). Naturally, 75% of the pax were already in line so we took our place at the back of the queue (we didn't get to board with the elites and overhead space was a bit of a challenge). Would a separate line for elites have allowed me to bypass all the GMs waiting in the regular line, and how pissed off would they all have been seeing me cut in front of them? I probably wouldn't take advantage of this myself, but I can see it causing some conflict down the line.
Keep in mind that you're not holding the non-super-elites up; they're fumbling with their boarding passes etc, while you just walk up and have yours scanned and voila, you're there. In many ways the boarding process is more efficient simply by having two lines instead of one.
The only downside I see, and I think it's real but nobody else here seems to, is that, at the gates I've used, you have to pass through the super-elites to get to the non-super-elite area. At SFO, this area is constrained by the proximity of the moving walkways, so it's often not large enough to hold a large number of super-elites in an orderly fashion. UA has a real opportunity to lessen the chaos of boarding, and they're only going part-way.
Dec 2, 2006, 11:02 am
#34
In memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Chicago, IL (ORD), Phoenix AZ (PHX)
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Starwood Platinum, a nothing in several others
Posts: 5,176
This is the best thing that UA has done in a long time to make things more convenient for premium pax and the super elites ^ ^ ^
Dec 2, 2006, 12:43 pm
#35
Moderator: Hilton Honors, Practical Travel Safety Issues & San Francisco
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Francisco CA
Programs: UA, Hilton, Priceline, AirBnB
Posts: 11,001
any chance you were on that flight on Nov 17 (fri?)
we were too - upstairs, very exciting!
But you're right, boarding was a zoo
But you're right, boarding was a zoo
Dec 2, 2006, 12:49 pm
#36
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UGS, AA CK
Posts: 212
Not employing the signage and/or rugs is where this procedure would fail on execution. Some agents are more forceful than others, and some really don't care who boards first. So without having the standard setup of signs, rugs, lanes, etc., there would be probably a 50/50 chance that the plane would be boarded in this manner due to agent inconsistency.
I think the rugs are beneficial because it enables us to skip the long lines. I always have first but don't necessarily want to board 45 mins before the flight. This way, I can board when I want without waiting in the long lines.
Dec 2, 2006, 2:56 pm
#37
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Seattle WA, USA
Programs: UA MP 1K 2MM
Posts: 527
A couple of weeks ago I was boarding a NW flight DTW - DEN (
--an involuntary reroute due to a UX Messy mechanical LAN-ORD
NW has the spiffy newer terminal at DTW and it is one of their hubs. There were two indicated lines, one with a red carpet for elites. But when boarding time came, there was one GA and she just called everyone through a single line. So, the idea may be good, but it's all in the execution.
Secondly, as a MM who sooner or later is going to enter into the nirvana of lifetime 2P, I'm a little regretful that the Premiere Executive folk are being lumped with all others.
On the other hand, have you noticed that UA is lumping 1Ks with 2P, 1P, F & C at counter check-ins? SEA's red carpeted 1K line vanished; then reappeared as a generic "elite" line. The other day at DEN the sign at the queue that had always had the label GS/1K, now reads GS; and 1Ks are directed to the same queue as 1P, 2P etc.
It's an imperfect world.
Flyer 420
in Boulder
--an involuntary reroute due to a UX Messy mechanical LAN-ORD NW has the spiffy newer terminal at DTW and it is one of their hubs. There were two indicated lines, one with a red carpet for elites. But when boarding time came, there was one GA and she just called everyone through a single line. So, the idea may be good, but it's all in the execution.
Secondly, as a MM who sooner or later is going to enter into the nirvana of lifetime 2P, I'm a little regretful that the Premiere Executive folk are being lumped with all others.
On the other hand, have you noticed that UA is lumping 1Ks with 2P, 1P, F & C at counter check-ins? SEA's red carpeted 1K line vanished; then reappeared as a generic "elite" line. The other day at DEN the sign at the queue that had always had the label GS/1K, now reads GS; and 1Ks are directed to the same queue as 1P, 2P etc.
It's an imperfect world.
Flyer 420
in Boulder
Dec 2, 2006, 3:01 pm
#38
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SAN
Programs: UA GS/1K/MM, VA Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 5,581
Skipping to the front of the line at the boarding gate doesn't mean that you can bypass the line in the jetway waiting to board.
Dec 2, 2006, 3:23 pm
#39
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: all over
Posts: 1,968
Would a separate line for elites have allowed me to bypass all the GMs waiting in the regular line, and how pissed off would they all have been seeing me cut in front of them? I probably wouldn't take advantage of this myself, but I can see it causing some conflict down the line.
Dec 2, 2006, 3:56 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: SF, CA, USA
Posts: 138
Love the new boarding procedure
Just wanted to voice that I'm a big fan (1K myself). Awhile back, while after having a horrible time trying to board with Group 1 on a 777 Chicago-bound flight, I wrote an email to UAL about how it's gotten so bad. Like a lot of you, that day I ended up boarding with group 3 due to all the people waiting around / clogging up the area.
A month or so later, this new procedure has shown up, and while not always perfect, I am a *huge* fan of it.
A month or so later, this new procedure has shown up, and while not always perfect, I am a *huge* fan of it.