United boarding for families

njmousefest · Feb 2, 2016

Looks like United is trying to play catch up and let families with kids 2 and under board first, which is a good thing. It was bad when we are zone 4 or 5 to board with little ones. Always felt I was going to take someones head off while carrying the carseat down the small narrow aisle.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2016/02/01/united-lets-families-board-early-again/?intcmp=hphz07

lost*in*cyberspace · Feb 2, 2016

This is a change I do not like. They should at least have to wait until after boarding group 1. I hope they will at least enforce the age limit (you know they won't).

seashoreCM · Feb 2, 2016

njmousefest said:
... It was bad when we are zone 4 or 5 to board with little ones. Always felt I was going to take someones head off while carrying the carseat down the small narrow aisle.

This change to early family boarding is not to help families. It is an attempt to help complete the boarding process more quickly.

Take a deep breath. Relax. You may always take it easy going down the aisle.

bumbershoot · Feb 3, 2016

Didn't United have the window/middle/aisle seating going on? And families could board together instead of waiting for their exact seat area to come up. We did it several times (asking each time, and being told "of course, you don't have to ask").

njmouse, are you a guy? I'm not, and I'm short, and I never would have even considered putting the carseat up above peoples' heads. You just carry it in front of your body, sideways if needed. No one's in danger that way. (and we had a Britax Roundabout on one r/t, then a Cosco Scenera on another one or two roundtrips, so we didn't have teensy seats)

njmousefest · Feb 3, 2016

bumbershoot said:
Didn't United have the window/middle/aisle seating going on? And families could board together instead of waiting for their exact seat area to come up. We did it several times (asking each time, and being told "of course, you don't have to ask").

njmouse, are you a guy? I'm not, and I'm short, and I never would have even considered putting the carseat up above peoples' heads. You just carry it in front of your body, sideways if needed. No one's in danger that way. (and we had a Britax Roundabout on one r/t, then a Cosco Scenera on another one or two roundtrips, so we didn't have teensy seats)

United went to some kind of zone boarding, based on where rows where they were in the plane and not window/middle/aisle.

Yes, and as a guy who is usually one of the tallest on the plane, it is hard enough to walk down that narrow aisle straight on (depending on plane sometimes being able to stand upright), let alone last time we flew carrying 2 car seats as my wife carried the two kids and one nice person helped with our carryon bag. So this year I welcome the change.

DebbieB · Feb 3, 2016

I can understand preboarding people with car seats, any age. It doesn't make sense to me if you just have young kids when there is assigned seating.

SW changed their family boarding from 4 and under to 6 and under. When I was sitting at the gate for my PIT-MCO flight in December, the line was huge. I looked at the family groups and could tell some of them did not have a 6 year old, they were more like 8 and 10. Meanwhile, I had B22 and ended up in the second to last row.

lost*in*cyberspace · Feb 3, 2016

njmousefest said:
United went to some kind of zone boarding, based on where rows where they were in the plane and not window/middle/aisle......

This is incorrect. United doesn't board by zone, they board window/middle/aisle.

njmousefest · Feb 3, 2016

lost*in*cyberspace said:
This is incorrect. United doesn't board by zone, they board window/middle/aisle.

If that is the case, how did we have window middle and aisle tickets all in zone/group 4?

kar915 · Feb 3, 2016

United still uses window middle aisle which are Groups 3/4/5, Groups 1 & 2 are the various elite levels and First class

seashoreCM · Feb 3, 2016

njmousefest said:
If that is the case, how did we have window middle and aisle tickets all in zone/group 4?

Were you near the back of the plane? At one time recently United had the last several rows all in one boarding group (boarding zone if you wish) and then window, middle, aisle zones respectively for the rest of the cabin further forward.

njmousefest · Feb 4, 2016

seashoreCM said:
Were you near the back of the plane? At one time recently United had the last several rows all in one boarding group (boarding zone if you wish) and then window, middle, aisle zones respectively for the rest of the cabin further forward.

Last minute flights usually put us toward the back, so that could be.

Most of the time I fly by myself for work, so I never noticed a boarding pattern. It was always the elites and then me standing there by myself in group 4...

lost*in*cyberspace · Feb 4, 2016

seashoreCM said:
Were you near the back of the plane? At one time recently United had the last several rows all in one boarding group (boarding zone if you wish) and then window, middle, aisle zones respectively for the rest of the cabin further forward.

I'm a 1K on United and fly them many times every year. They do not board by zone; they board as already stated, window/middle/aisle. There's a good explanation on Flyertalk, if anyone is really that interested:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...boarding-process-wiki-revised-may-2013-a.html

quagmire0 · Feb 5, 2016

lost*in*cyberspace said:
This is a change I do not like. They should at least have to wait until after boarding group 1. I hope they will at least enforce the age limit (you know they won't).

Doesn't United have seat assignments? Why not let the families who have to put in car seats and the like in first? It's understandable on Southwest to make them wait for boarding group 1, because it is first come, first serve for seating.

dis_guy · Feb 5, 2016

quagmire0 said:
Doesn't United have seat assignments? Why not let the families who have to put in car seats and the like in first? It's understandable on Southwest to make them wait for boarding group 1, because it is first come, first serve for seating.

Yeah, but they also have different classes of cabins and various levels of frequent (elites, if you like) flyers who pay for and expect to get preferred treatment. People who pay for first class or who are the airlines best customers (as in most revenue producing) will not be made to wait while the family who flies maybe once a year makes their trip slightly less convenient. It's not gonna happen. I usually fly coach but occasionally do fly in first and I do like, really like, being first on and first off the plane.

DebbieB · Feb 5, 2016

quagmire0 said:
Doesn't United have seat assignments? Why not let the families who have to put in car seats and the like in first? It's understandable on Southwest to make them wait for boarding group 1, because it is first come, first serve for seating.

The elite members want first chance for the overhead bins.

dis_guy · Feb 6, 2016

DebbieB said:
The elite members want first chance for the overhead bins.

Not my observation at all. The last time I flew first on UA, in November, there was lots of unused bin space up there. Don't forget, First Class and elites get free checked bags. I could have had 2x70 pound(!) bags checked.

And for those who do fly with United, once you book your coach ticket, check your reservation once in awhile, sometimes you can get a good deal on an upgrade offer to first. That's how I ended up there last time.

DebbieB · Feb 6, 2016

dis_guy said:
Not my observation at all. The last time I flew first on UA, in November, there was lots of unused bin space up there. Don't forget, First Class and elites get free checked bags. I could have had 2x70 pound(!) bags checked.

And for those who do fly with United, once you book your coach ticket, check your reservation once in awhile, sometimes you can get a good deal on an upgrade offer to first. That's how I ended up there last time.

I was speaking more of elites in coach. My experience is most business travelers carry on and want to get their bag above their seat. They don't want families boarding first and taking bin space. Otherwise, what is the objection to families with children 2 and under boarding first (see post #2)?

TheRustyScupper · Feb 7, 2016

DebbieB said:
I was speaking more of elites in coach. My experience is most business travelers carry on and want to get their bag above their seat. They don't want families boarding first and taking bin space. Otherwise, what is the objection to families with children 2 and under boarding first (see post #2)?

1) Lots of Elite fliers I know want their bags above their sets.
2) As an Elite Member, I have not sat "in the back" (Coach Class) in at least 8-10 years.
3) However, when I did, I wanted my bags in the overhead ACROSS the aisle from my seat.
4) As far as kids boarding early, my question is "Why?".
. . . Their tickets are not better than any others.
. . . Why should they get a boarding preference?
. . . Besides, a business traveler usually pays far more than a family.
. . . Thus, the business traveler's ticket is actually more valuable (better) than a family vacation ticket.

DebbieB · Feb 7, 2016

I can see allowing families with a car seat to board early. Carrying it down the aside is ackward with people sitting. It takes time to install it and most likely the other parent and child are going to be standing in the aside while it's being installed.

TheRustyScupper · Feb 7, 2016

DebbieB said:
I can see allowing families with a car seat to board early. Carrying it down the aside is ackward

1) Just as awkward as folks with big bags letting them swing at, and into, other passengers.
2) If one is careful, there is no need to bother/disturb others.
. . . I find that in foreign countries, people seldom bump luggage or car seats into other passengers
. . . Folks seem to have more respect for their fellow passengers.
. . . It is usually just carelessness and laziness that have people disturbing others.
3) Just my opinion and observation, after over 4½-million air-miles, domestic and foreign.

United boarding for families

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