The airline is introducing a new boarding group to allow those in window and middle seats to board before passengers sitting in the aisle.
SUMMARY
- United Airlines is updating its boarding groups to speed up the process, with group four being split into middle and aisle-seat passengers.
- The return of the boarding window and middle seats before the aisle seats helps reduce complexity and save time during the boarding process.
- The updated system cuts up to two minutes of boarding time, resulting in higher customer satisfaction scores in the trial phase.
One of the largest airlines in the world is bringing back a popular boarding method. United Airlines confirmed to Simple Flying today that it is updating its boarding groups to speed up the process following a successful small-scale trial.
What is going to change?
The first three boarding groups will stay the same, while Group 4 will be split into two, and a sixth group will be added for basic economy passengers. The major overhaul comes with the return of the boarding window and middle seats before the aisle seats. This helps reduce complexity and save time as passengers are not getting up as frequently to let passengers into the middle and window seats as the plane fills up.
Currently, Groups 1 and 2 include all elite status holders, such as MileagePlus Gold, Silver, or Star Alliance Gold members, select credit card holders, and those flying in first or business class.
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The airline confirmed that its WILMA (somehow representing “window, middle, aisle”) system returns on October 26th following a trial across four domestic destinations and one hub. The research found that the system cuts up to two minutes of boarding time, resulting in higher customer satisfaction scores.
How will it work?
The airline confirmed that passengers who booked multiple tickets on the same economy reservation will board in the same group, which will be the highest applicable boarding group (excluding Basic Economy customers in boarding Group 6). This is welcome news for families, as there is a continued push for airlines in the US to ensure families are seated together.
This is how the boarding groups are set to be organized when the changes roll out later this month:
- Preboarding: Customers with disabilities and unaccompanied minors, active duty military, Global Services members, families with children under two, and Premier 1K members
- Group 1: Polaris business, first, business class, MileagePlus Platinum, Gold, and Star Alliance Gold.
- Group 2: Premier Silver, Star Alliance Silver, passengers with Premier Access or priority boarding, and select cobranded credit card holders.
- Group 3: Window seats, exit row seats, and non-revenue passengers.
- Group 4: Middle seats.
- Group 5: Aisle seats.
- Group 6: Basic economy on domestic flights and those between the US and the Caribbean or Central America (excluding Panama City and San Salvador).
The airline previously used this method before introducing basic economy seating in 2017. According to USA Today, the computer systems used by United at the time only allowed the airline to board with a maximum of five groups. This has since been rectified, resulting in the new changes being rolled out system-wide.
The announcement comes as United receives its first Airbus in over two decades. The Airbus A321neo will enter service later this year, flying from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
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