For some time, traditional airlines have given the customers who provide them the most revenue a perk: early boarding. United, for example, started off putting its elite members into the first seating area. But at hub airports, there have been instances where nearly every person on board holds elite status. (I once flew from Chicago to DC and the gate agent announced that all but three passengers were in seating area 1… so they boarded old-school, by row.)
Boarding early has one single perk, increasingly important in an era of checked-luggage fees: Early access to the bins. If not for the bins, there would frankly be no reason to board early. You’ll be sitting in an aluminum tube for hours as it is, so why extend the torture? But the bins… the bins! We must win the battle of the bins!
So United is tinkering with its boarding order, beginning tomorrow, November 12, 2008. Via e-mail to customers:
Beginning November 12, our Premier Executive members and Star Alliance Gold guests will board before Seating Area 1 customers through the Economy Lane.
The new boarding order will be as follows: Global Services, 1K and customers sitting in United First will continue to board first through the Red Carpet Lane, followed by our United Business customers.
Our Premier Executive and Star Alliance Gold members will then be invited to board. After all of our most-valued guests are on board and getting settled, the regular boarding process of seating areas 1 through 4 will begin.
We strive to consistently reward you, our premium customers, for your loyalty. We hope that as a Premier Executive and Star Alliance Gold customer, you enjoy this added benefit.
Time for United to switch to letter-coded boarding groups… Obviously they decided they couldn’t downgrade those in group 1 to a different digit, but they now effectively have a group 0 and a group -1. Let’s switch to A through F, then.
In the meantime, the move isn’t garnering universal praise. The sticking point: the phrase “most-valued” in the e-mail above. Por ejemplo, Charles Cooper argues:
By favoring some customers more than others—I am not talking about nice club amenities but rather obvious distinctions being made at the gate—all you really accomplish is the raising up of a few in full view of the rest, and the rest is not going to be happy about it. If United’s goal is to keep their various levels of business and high-end travelers at the expense of their coach trade, then they are doing a great job. There are plenty of other airlines to choose from, enough so that flying United is quite optional.
Perhaps United is being particularly crass with their elitism — and the language they use to describe it — but name one airline in the United States that’s genuinely egalitarian. JetBlue gives their better customers better seats. Ditto Southwest. Seriously: Is any airline not rewarding their best customers?
The problem isn’t rewarding the rainmakers. But it could become problematic if non-elite customers feel slighted.
So has United gone too far in their multi-class system at the gate? Too far in their verbiage, as Cooper suggests? Or will anyone really care? Or even notice? Hit the comments!
Related:
- Faster boarding with an astrophysicist’s touch
- Magic carpet? United adds separate elite boarding area at gates
- Southwest guarantees A-group boarding passes to expensive tickets and elites
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November 11th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
The main thing that changed here is the distinction between 1P/*G and 2P/3P, who all used to be BG 1 and are now BG 0 and BG 1. There’s nothing that changed for the non-elite — they continue to be behind everyone with an elite card in their pocket.
(I said “main” because the red carpet boarding seems to have changed slightly in that C passengers now come after 1K, GS and F passengers… I don’t think there was a sub-dividing of red carpet lice prior to this)
November 11th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
This move makes complete sense to me — as Oliver points out, for non-elites this doesn’t change the number of people boarding before them. Like it or not, those with preboarding privileges *are* more valued — they bring much more revenue in than your normal flyer. In fact, if anything, I’m surprised that United was not doing it this way to begin with. With this change, they have brought themselves in line with (at least) American, which boards First, Business, Exp/Plt/OneWorld elites, Gold…
I do think that “masking” the elite boarding is a good idea, though — announcing elite boarding does nothing but annoy non-elites, whereas announcing a group A, B, etc. that just so happens to only include elites is far less insulting (ignorance is bliss, right?)
November 12th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I don’t mind elites and first class boarding first. But don’t rub everyone else’s nose in it.
Another thing, this also makes low-level elites feel like they’re less valued. Premier (2P) used to feel special. Not so much anymore. And Premier Associate (3P)? Please!
Why bother with all this? Were Premier Executives complaining?
November 12th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
@Tino:
Hey, 3P’s shouldn’t be acting like they’re ALL THAT. 3P is only granted through the grace of another elite; there is no level of revenue they are guaranteed to have brought to United. 2P’s are barely any better to the UA bottom line. Even as a 1P, I will acknowledge that my contribution to UA’s success (as meager as it is) is small. 1Ks, GSs, fare paying F and C psgrs … that’s who UA (and all airlines) need to be genuflecting towards.
I agree that they need to obfuscate this system from the teeming masses (for their own good). I do like that UA now does this. It is no cost to them, and clearly defines the pecking order, plus gives lower level elites an unmistakable advertisement of the levels ahead of them.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
And this is supposed to make up for obsolete equipment, scowling service and dumpster food.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Had the experience today twice. First was in COS on an RJ boarding and there were a lot of confused looks when after the UGS, 1K and First, they called premier execs and *golds…A bunch of the seating area 1 people had to back up and figure out what this new change was all about. It was fun to watch, but only for a sec since I am a PremExec I just paid attention and got on, but only agfter serious scrutiny of my ticket for the Premier exec lettering (and I only guess this becasue his finger underlined it without him saying a word. In Chicago for an ORD – TPA Ted flight, the red carpet lane was bare (Bare..not a 1K or UGS to be seen…lol) and again the GA was looking us in the eyes like “if you guys aren’t PremExec standing here in front of me and the rest of the plane I will boot you out of line” he was happy that the six or seven us were correctly in the front if the line, ready to board and no mishaps. Two boardings under the new system and no problems so far!
November 13th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I wish they (UA) would use the monitors available in the boarding area to do more traveler education about the process. E.g., explain the boarding order. Also, it might help if GAs would clearly announce that people should remain seated until their group has been called, and that no one will be allowed to board outside their group.
One reason why UA might not want to hide the fact that elites are treated better is to create more loyalty by demonstrating one of the benefits of elite levels to the unwashed masses that aren’t elite yet. Not sure if that is a good enough reason — overall, it would seem less confusing to just number the boarding groups sequentially instead of rattling down all these special names (I’d bet 80% of the people on many UA flights have no idea what *G or GS means).
November 13th, 2008 at 10:52 am
I confess. It doesn’t make sense to me that First Class boards first. There’s no competition for the bins and on many planes, the benefit is… watching the coach class fliers give you the stink eye as they pass through? Why not stay in the lounge a little longer?
The battle of the bins makes me crazy. Crazy, I tellya, especially since the regulation for bag size seems to be so randomly enforced. On my recent travels, the crew badgered passengers to hurry the hell up so they could get out the gate while everyone was doing what? Trying to find bin space.
Insert usual ranting about how much flying sucks now here.
November 23rd, 2008 at 6:26 am
I am a United 1K status holder that takes full advantage of the early boarding option. I travel on many different airlines (this year over 85 trips domestically/internationally). On airlines where I do not have status – I fully understand that I will board later and take responsibility to plan ahead (e.g. check my luggage).
If a non-status, or lower status member has a problem with my boarding before them, I struggle with the idea that I should yield my status for “equal boarding rights”. Without the Global Service, 1K and Premier Exec flyers – United does not exist. We are paying $1500 to fly coast to coast (coach), or minimum $6000 for business class fares trans-pacific/atlantic. Without those revenues, United goes out of business, and we end up with Southwest as our option (not that I mind flying SWA on short routes).
Businesses take care of their loyal (and consistent) customers for a reason. Trust me, first class and business class on United are not a joyous experience. Broken down seats, bad food, surly flight attendants….it’s not any where near “glamorous” when you do it week in and week out. I live near a United hub – so, I continue to deal with it and take any perks I can get as a result.