OFFICIAL: 1P and *AG get Priority Boarding thru the Economy Lane as of Nov 12
Nov 10, 2008, 1:08 pm
#46
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
Nov 10, 2008, 1:09 pm
#47
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,102
Yeah, and then you have the dilemma of whether to board early in order to secure storage space, and the privilege of sitting on a United airplane for sometimes up to 30 extra minutes.
Nov 10, 2008, 1:11 pm
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,513
I'm not quite sure that *G is necessarily more valuable to UA than a UA 2P. If you give your $$$ to another carrier most of the time and fly UA rarely, I would like to see UA protect it's own elite (even low level) above the partners elites. After all, they have a choice as to who to credit miles to and claim to be loyal to. if they are not UA gold/silver, then their loyalty is not to UA. )and loyalty means sacraficing some benefits on one for a concentratin on another.)
UA doesn't even charge *S for checked baggage, and that is hard, cold cash.
Not for us.
Nov 10, 2008, 1:16 pm
#49
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: ASE
Programs: UA 1MM, AA1MM PLTPRO, Hertz PC, National EXC, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton/Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,357
Well, as a lowly 2P, currently 4,000 miles short of 1P, I have mixed feelings about this change. I just don't see it working. First of all, a message was never sent out about this change to the lowly 2P's (or, at least not yet). So, were it not for FT, and I show up to the airport on Nov. 16th for my flight to MSY, I would not know about this change, and assume that when Seating Area 1 is called, I would be able to board, as I have for many years. If a GA challenged me on this, I would say, I've never heard anything about this from United, and, as a lowly 2P, I have earned this benefit. Now, because I know, I won't. I just see this creating a lot of confusion among the GA's and the Seating Area 1 crowd, and think that it will be quite a while before the 1P's truly see the benefit of this change.
Also, since when have United Business customers boarded 2nd on the Red Carpet? Every time I have been on the red carpet, the C customers always crowd in with everybody else, and I have never heard an annoucement otherwise.
Also, since when have United Business customers boarded 2nd on the Red Carpet? Every time I have been on the red carpet, the C customers always crowd in with everybody else, and I have never heard an annoucement otherwise.
Nov 10, 2008, 1:18 pm
#50
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MSP, WLG, or the forward most A seat in Y I can get
Programs: UA Plat (and all the derivatives on cars and hotels that implies)
Posts: 491
Why do they have to make 1P so much better the day after I reached 1K? 
Nov 10, 2008, 1:31 pm
#51
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: Star Alliance, One World, Skyteam, BR, GA, EK, VX, SPG, Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, IC
Posts: 4,065
Great suggestion....the problem is many of the *'s most valuble customers get their boarding passes issues by LO in KRK, or by anohter carrier that doesn't use UA's boarding passes, so they are difficult to tell where they belong. Often the * carrier bP may have a *G or *S somewhere on them.
I'm not quite sure that *G is necessarily more valuable to UA than a UA 2P. If you give your $$$ to another carrier most of the time and fly UA rarely, I would like to see UA protect it's own elite (even low level) above the partners elites. After all, they have a choice as to who to credit miles to and claim to be loyal to. if they are not UA gold/silver, then their loyalty is not to UA. )and loyalty means sacraficing some benefits on one for a concentratin on another.)
As for letting gold use red carpet...well, that lane is allegedly avail for boarding at ANY time. It is inconvienence to have stragelers come up at any time. To increase the number of this with BP's that don't easily identify them will slow the process down, that is, if the agents enforce the area and make sure they can properly confirm the *G status of the stragglers from a BP that doesn't easily identify them as such.
I'm not quite sure that *G is necessarily more valuable to UA than a UA 2P. If you give your $$$ to another carrier most of the time and fly UA rarely, I would like to see UA protect it's own elite (even low level) above the partners elites. After all, they have a choice as to who to credit miles to and claim to be loyal to. if they are not UA gold/silver, then their loyalty is not to UA. )and loyalty means sacraficing some benefits on one for a concentratin on another.)
As for letting gold use red carpet...well, that lane is allegedly avail for boarding at ANY time. It is inconvienence to have stragelers come up at any time. To increase the number of this with BP's that don't easily identify them will slow the process down, that is, if the agents enforce the area and make sure they can properly confirm the *G status of the stragglers from a BP that doesn't easily identify them as such.
"UA *G now boards after all other *Elites has boarded the plane"
Now I'm sorry I had to put it this way, but it's the same feelings for us who fly with UA but chooses to credit it to other *A carrier because it is our primary carriers. It's true we have the choice, but won't we need to pick which one is more beneficial to us?
Nov 10, 2008, 2:08 pm
#52
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: ORD, BUF
Programs: UA 1K (woohoo), SPG Gold, HH Diamond, MR Silver, Avis Worst, National Exec Elite; Destinations Many
Posts: 332
I like the development - except for the fact that I will make 1K on December 1 and I have 7 USscare flights before that 
guess it could be worse though
guess it could be worse though
Nov 10, 2008, 2:12 pm
#53
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: United 2P, QMM, eleVAte
Posts: 231
Call me crazy, but I don't think this is that big of an improvement for 1P's. Yes, you achieve separation from the "hordes" of 2P's and 3P's that stuff overhead bins, but your boarding position is still the same (i.e. after GS/First/1k, etc), and now you board with the *Golds, who will admittedly be fewer in number than 2P's, except maybe on some international routes. I'm not sure, other than recognition from United, what you gain from this.
The focus, I think, should be on what United affording recognition to *G elites from other airlines might mean for United's own *G-level elites on other Star Alliance partners. Does this type of goodwill gesture point towards some sort of centralized level of *G benefits in the (far-off) future, or is it merely a random blip?
The focus, I think, should be on what United affording recognition to *G elites from other airlines might mean for United's own *G-level elites on other Star Alliance partners. Does this type of goodwill gesture point towards some sort of centralized level of *G benefits in the (far-off) future, or is it merely a random blip?
Nov 10, 2008, 2:40 pm
#54
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: JAX
Posts: 35
In a semi-related story, last summer I booked a UA codeshare via US (with my at the time 2P MP #) and was assigned seating area 6 (on a CRJ!). I walked up to the UA counter and mentioned I was 2P and they quickly gave me a seating area 1 BP.
Nov 10, 2008, 3:09 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Indiana
Programs: United GS 1.5MM, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 533
Call me crazy, but I don't think this is that big of an improvement for 1P's. Yes, you achieve separation from the "hordes" of 2P's and 3P's that stuff overhead bins, but your boarding position is still the same (i.e. after GS/First/1k, etc), and now you board with the *Golds, who will admittedly be fewer in number than 2P's, except maybe on some international routes. I'm not sure, other than recognition from United, what you gain from this.
The focus, I think, should be on what United affording recognition to *G elites from other airlines might mean for United's own *G-level elites on other Star Alliance partners. Does this type of goodwill gesture point towards some sort of centralized level of *G benefits in the (far-off) future, or is it merely a random blip?
The focus, I think, should be on what United affording recognition to *G elites from other airlines might mean for United's own *G-level elites on other Star Alliance partners. Does this type of goodwill gesture point towards some sort of centralized level of *G benefits in the (far-off) future, or is it merely a random blip?
Sure, it might not be a big enhancement, but i think that this boarding process is fair as most carriers invite *G and their equivalent 1Ps to board after their Plat/1K/First/Business. Seating area 1 is usually a pretty large group and can get messy at times and now breaking seating area 1 up would smoothen the process. I think it is all up to whether the gate agent can explain the boarding process clearly and i think lately, they have done a reasonably good job, esp after the red carpets were introduced.
Nov 10, 2008, 3:18 pm
#56
Join Date: May 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA1K, SPG Plat
Posts: 81
No doubt. They're basically adding a post first/pre-zone 1. As someone who sometimes falls short of 1K (as I will this year) but will hit 85k miles this year, yeah, it sucks getting the same benefits as a 25k/yr flier. This makes it a little more desirable to bother hitting 1P vs settling for 2P.
Regardless, I agree that people who whine about getting the level of treatment that they pay for and/or earn are a bit tedious.
... The whine has just got to stop 
Regardless, I agree that people who whine about getting the level of treatment that they pay for and/or earn are a bit tedious.
Nov 10, 2008, 3:25 pm
#58
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: LAX/BUR
Posts: 2,012
I feel bad for the 2Ps!!!
Nov 10, 2008, 3:26 pm
#59
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, Hertz Plat
Posts: 1,224
Perhaps they were running a test ahead of this announcement to see which ran best or was met with the most approval. @:-)
Nov 10, 2008, 4:05 pm
#60
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K, DL Plat
Posts: 576
I like it. Now I'm just curious if it will affect (in)consistency across the stations.