Airline passengers are outraged by United Airlines’ decision to bring back its controversial WILMA boarding policy, a move aimed at speeding up the process.
According to an internal memo, economy passengers with window seats will be the first to board Group 3, followed by the middle seats of Group 4 and the aisle seats of Group 5, which will board last.
The changes, which will come into effect from October 26, are intended to shave two minutes off the boarding process for each flight.
But the possibility of a reduced boarding time wasn’t enough to justify the change for some passengers, citing family and luggage concerns.
This process allows economy passengers with window seats to board ahead of center and aisle seats
One charge for that seat.”
Several users also wondered what would happen to families with young children traveling together.
‘@united I’m confused, with this new boarding system: if I travel with my nine year old son, he has to go with his window seat first and then I move on later? That seems ridiculous,” said one X user.
Another wrote: ‘What happens if you have two adults and one child, or one adult and two children? Should the children go on board alone?’
One user commented on United’s announcement post, writing: ‘Boarding in the new window, then the middle, then the aisle will be a disaster! What if you are traveling with family and children?’
Some users also predicted chaos and rows with one message: ‘With this approach, window passengers will be the first to get their luggage in the overhead bin. Unless the gate staff strictly enforces the two-item rule, I predict there will be some interesting dialogue and disruption during boarding.”
Others have criticized the decision, complaining that airlines are charging fees for checked bags, which they say is a more pressing issue than boarding seat structure.
While concerns about infighting over baggage space and extra fees have not yet been addressed, United told TODAY that entire families will be able to board together under the new policy, and that multiple customers with the same economy reservation will also be allowed to board together.
Loyal fliers may remember that United had this boarding process before 2017.
However, the introduction of the Basic Economy product with limited carry-on baggage six years ago led to a significant change driven mainly by outdated technology.
The computer systems in use at the time limited the airline to a boarding structure of five groups, forcing the airline to divide people with center and aisle seats into Group 4.
But in 2023, technical developments will result in more boarding groups and there are now a total of seven boarding groups.
It is hoped the change will reduce boarding times by two minutes
Despite the new system, much of the protocol has not changed, including areas that have been a problem for passengers in the past.
The system remains the same for pre-boarding (disabled people, families with children and unaccompanied minors), groups 1, 2 and 3.
These three groups consist of First Class and Platinum members and are allowed to board after the pre-boarding group.
However, passengers in these groups have long had a problem with the system, especially first-class travelers who are not allowed to board first.
A TikToker made a video of herself standing in a United boarding line in 2022 and complained that first-class passengers were asked to board after ‘all these people and more’
She wrote: “This message is for United Airlines” and called the system “worst boarding process ever.”
Another persistent complaint from passengers is that they pay excessive fees for checked baggage. The new protocol does not address that problem either.
The carrier has tested this new method in four domestic locations to ensure it will reduce time
Economy passengers with window seats will board in Group 3, followed by passengers with middle seats in Group 4 and aisle passengers in Group 5, according to an internal memo
Last month, United Airlines came under fire when it emerged that counterfeit parts were being used in some planes after London-based distributor AOG Technics misled the airline.
Questionable parts were found in two aircraft engines, including one aircraft that was already undergoing routine maintenance.
These engines were replaced before the planes returned to the sky.
The conspiracy was uncovered during a routine inspection of the world’s best-selling jet engine: the CFM56, used in aircraft such as Airbus A320 models and the Boeing 737.
In June, engineers at TAP Air Portugal’s maintenance subsidiary noticed that one of the ‘new’ spare parts for a CFM56 engine appeared older than what the paperwork indicated.
The alleged mastermind behind the scheme was exposed as 35-year-old Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, the founder of AOG Technics – who used stock photos of staffers on his website.
Yrala was once an aspiring techno DJ and music producer performing under the name ‘Santa Militia’ before finding himself at the center of one of the airline industry’s biggest scandals.