United & American change boarding process

[Best Aunt]

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal said that United is starting a new boarding process called WILMA. Elite level customers still board first. Next is window seat passengers, then middle seat passengers, then aisle passengers. It's supposed to be 20% faster. Family members travelling together get the lowest boarding number among the group. If you used to book a seat in the back of the plane because you thought you'd get to board earlier and get more overhead bin space, you might want to reconsider and book a window seat.

American changed their process also. Elite level frequent flyers board first. Next is passengers who don't have bags to put in the overhead storage bins. American thinks that getting the people without big bags on first speeds up the boarding time.

Maybe this is old news to you guys, but I thought I would mention it.

 

[seashoreCM]

United had WILMA boarding on at least some longer routes several years ago, that is, in the 2008 time frame.

1. First class and frequent fliers
2. Rearmost 5 or 6 rows.
3. Window seats
4. Middle seats
5. Aisle seats

(By mid-2008, the abovementioned zone 2 was discontinued.)

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree, this isn't new for United; this is how they have boarded for several years (called "outside-in"). The WSJ is mistaken. Also, it's not just elites who board before general boarding; explanation here:

https://hub.united.com/en-us/News/C...es/arriving-at-a-single-boarding-process.aspx