# This is priority boarding? Chase United Explorer Card experience



## dougp26364

So we took out the Chase United Explorer card, mostly for the free checked bag but, I also wanted the priority boarding. Apparently UAL has come up multiple levels of priority for priority boarding. 

When we printed our boarding passes, we were assigned group 4. When I questioned them at the ticketing counter, I was told that WAS priority boarding. Priority boarding is groups 1 to 5. Really? Wow!

What we saw was multiple small groups being called starting with their premier flyers who had earned the priviledge through flying. Then all the specialty groups with Explorer card holders being the last of the specialty groups. Not exactly what I expected and I'm glad we didn't take the card out just for the benefit but, I have to say I'm somewhat surprised and disappointed.


----------



## LisaH

You should complain to either credit card company or UAL MileagePlus. Group 4 is the last group to board for UA flights unless things have changed since the merger with Continental was finalized. Did you purchase the tickets with the card?


----------



## CatLovers

LisaH said:


> You should complain to either credit card company or UAL MileagePlus. Group 4 is the last group to board for UA flights unless things have changed since the merger with Continental was finalized. Did you purchase the tickets with the card?



Things have changed.  Groups 1-5 are now priority, just like the agent said.  Groups 1 and 2 are Global service, Million Milers, etc.  Group 3 is Star Alliance Gold and then I'm not exactly sure of the difference between 4 and 5.  Then everyone else boards.  You're still way ahead of the masses.


----------



## mav

United now charges for both checked bags for USA travel. $25 for bag 1 and $35 for bag 2.  If you have the Chase card you get the first bag free and United charges $35 for the second bag.   IF  you are Premier Silver, UAL says a perk is 1 bag free. Chase says first bag free. United will only let you take advantage of the first bag for $25 free, and they will not give you the second bag free even though a perk of premier silver is 1 free bag. Travel light. 
  Boarding group 4 is great. Wait until you fly and you will see wht I mean.


----------



## dougp26364

mav said:


> United now charges for both checked bags for USA travel. $25 for bag 1 and $35 for bag 2.  If you have the Chase card you get the first bag free and United charges $35 for the second bag.   IF  you are Premier Silver, UAL says a perk is 1 bag free. Chase says first bag free. United will only let you take advantage of the first bag for $25 free, and they will not give you the second bag free even though a perk of premier silver is 1 free bag. Travel light.
> Boarding group 4 is great. Wait until you fly and you will see wht I mean.



They give us 1 bag free per passenger up to 4 bags. When they wife and I fly, 2 bags (1 for each of us) is more than enough. So far we've traveled twice since getting the Explorer Card and we've taken 1 bag each without charge. The savings in Bag fee's has made up for the $95/year charge (waved the first year).

We just completed flights to Boston. Group 4 and 5 were boarded together from ORD to BOS. It was fine but, 1/3 of the plane had already boarded. Of course this was an evening flight on Friday going from one major city to another. I expect weekend travel may be different. Overall I'm not terribly impressed. They had at least 8 boarding groups that I'm aware of and group 5 is in the bottom half. Granted it's all perception and so long as I don't feel a tremendous amount ofpressure as far as getting our carry on bags aboard it really doesn't matter that much. I was just shocked at the change.


----------



## Rent_Share

I am a loyal CO flyer, now UAL under protest

Flew LAX/DET/ATL/LAX last week with no control of the carrier and ended up on Delta.

The line for "priority" elite type flyers was longer than the one for us normal folks.

Was group 2 for a 767 assumed I would get on early since I was in the last row . . .  There were so many groups of "various elites" group 2 was the last group to be called


----------



## LisaH

CatLovers said:


> Things have changed.  Groups 1-5 are now priority, just like the agent said.  Groups 1 and 2 are Global service, Million Milers, etc.  Group 3 is Star Alliance Gold and then I'm not exactly sure of the difference between 4 and 5.  Then everyone else boards.  You're still way ahead of the masses.



Thanks! I am 1K so I always board with group 1. That's why I have not noticed any changes


----------



## Luanne

LisaH said:


> Thanks! I am 1K so I always board with group 1. That's why I have not noticed any changes



We were in boarding group 8 on our trip to Maui.  I felt like I'd been demoted.


----------



## Carolinian

mav said:


> United now charges for both checked bags for USA travel. $25 for bag 1 and $35 for bag 2.  If you have the Chase card you get the first bag free and United charges $35 for the second bag.   IF  you are Premier Silver, UAL says a perk is 1 bag free. Chase says first bag free. United will only let you take advantage of the first bag for $25 free, and they will not give you the second bag free even though a perk of premier silver is 1 free bag. Travel light.
> Boarding group 4 is great. Wait until you fly and you will see wht I mean.



CO silvers before the merger got two bags free.  The only airline that still does that for the low tier elites is AA.  On international flights, UA silvers get the exact same free bag allowance as those without status, one free bag.


----------



## MichaelColey

That's a growing trend with airlines, that the first level of elite membership doesn't get anywhere near as much.  The perks of having an airline credit card are often pretty close to that first level.

Those credit cards (and frequent flyer points) can earn quite a bit of money for airlines, and much more consistently than flying.


----------



## MaryH

Recent flights on UA I was on group 3 as Star Alliance Silver.  UA almost tried to charge me for a bag until I pointed out I am *A Silver.   

Had a bit of delays with flights at end of they day flight and one actually had to turn back to EWR due to fog and fly the next day.  Was surprised that they took care of the hotel and $30 of meal vouchers.


----------



## Talent312

MaryH said:


> ... One [flight] actually had to turn back to EWR due to fog and fly the next day.  Was surprised that they took care of the hotel and $30 of meal vouchers.



Usually, weather issues gets you a "not our fault" shrug.
We had an unexpected night in Newark after a flight from Europe. Nada.


----------



## mav

MaryH said:


> Recent flights on UA I was on group 3 as Star Alliance Silver.  UA almost tried to charge me for a bag until I pointed out I am *A Silver.
> 
> Had a bit of delays with flights at end of they day flight and one actually had to turn back to EWR due to fog and fly the next day.  Was surprised that they took care of the hotel and $30 of meal vouchers.




    I am Premier Silver also, and have the Chase Bank credit card. Chase said FIRST bag free. UAL says ONE bag free. when I told them I was Silver, showed them my Chase credit card and my UAL Premier Silver card they said I could still have only 1 bag free, either thru Chase or being Premier Silver. I was VERY nice, not rude at all but I did point out to them that one of the perks of being Silver is 1 free checked bag, and being a Chase Bank credit card holder is first bag free, but they would NOT let me check the second without charging $35. It says so right on their site, and does not say if you have a Chase Bank credit card you can't use the silver status or vice versa. I did not want to hold up the line and thought it is not worth getting upset over, so I just paid for it.   When we travel we are gone anywhere's from 4 weeks to 2 months or 2 and 1/2 months so I do bring 2 checked bags. We travel about 7 or 8 months out of the year.


----------



## LisaRex

Delta has a similar system of allowing its AMEX SkyMiles cardholders to board before general boarding.  I keep the card and pay the $40 annual fee because it more than pays for itself with the free checked bag perk.  That frees me up to take on a small carry-on -- so much that I don't even really need the priority boarding perk.  In fact, there have been times that I've waited to board after my Zone is called because I don't need an overhead bin.


----------



## djs

When you are not bumped, you by definition have priority boarding (over those bumped).  United did nothing wrong here.


----------



## Hobo1

*Last To Board*

I have FF status with several airlines (the reward  for many years as a road warrior). My bags fly free  , so even though I have the privilage to board in the first group, I always hang back until the last group is called.

Why sit and wait in a cramped space while everyone else is boarding and dodge bags, purses, and whatever else fellow passengers try to carry-on?

I board with the last group, quickly take my pre-assigned seat and avoid having to decline trading seats with someone who wants my exit aisle seat, so they can sit next to someone, for their middle seat in the back of the plane next to the lavatory, and if there are no mechanical or weather problems we're quickly in the air.

IMHO being the first to board is not a perk even when flying first class.


----------



## DebBrown

Hobo1 said:


> IMHO being the first to board is not a perk even when flying first class.



I'm with you on this one.  It's only a perk if you are competing for overhead space.  My DH worries about this incessantly.  I'm happily making my final trip to the ladies room.

I just applied for the United Explorer card because I needed the extra promotional miles for an upcoming trip.  Unfortunately, I had stupidly booked most of our tickets with my Amex before getting it.   

Deb


----------



## Rent_Share

Hobo1 said:


> I
> IMHO being the first to board is not a perk even when flying first class.


 

Having gone from Platinum to Dirt  -  If you board last, there isn't a chance you will have any overhead space left.

The checking charge has made this worse (er)


----------



## x3 skier

Hobo1 said:


> IMHO being the first to board is not a perk even when flying first class.



If it were not for the pre-departure drink I have, I would agree. 

Cheers


----------



## Hobo1

I flew so much and so often they made me "platinum for life" so I don't know anything about "dirt".


----------



## Luanne

Rent_Share said:


> Having gone from Platinum to Dirt  -  If you board last, there isn't a chance you will have any overhead space left.
> 
> The checking charge has made this worse (er)



Not always.  We were in the last boarding group on our flight to Maui and had no problem finding overhead space.


----------



## MaryH

Talent312 said:


> Usually, weather issues gets you a "not our fault" shrug.
> We had an unexpected night in Newark after a flight from Europe. Nada.



Yes I was afraid of that since a lot of people on the plane did not have status and it was a US express flight so thought it was 50-50% that they would say tough luck.  But the original 1hr 15 delay was due to their scheduling. The weather was fine until we were pretty close so their delay caused us to hit weather factors.  Good of US/CO to own up and take care of it.  The woman sitting across the aisle from me had a girl around 10 years of age and not easily for them I think since we did not get to hotel till around 2:30 am.


----------



## LisaRex

Luanne said:


> Not always.  We were in the last boarding group on our flight to Maui and had no problem finding overhead space.



I think overseas travel is a bit easier because few people can make do with just a carry-on.


----------



## Luanne

LisaRex said:


> I think overseas travel is a bit easier because few people can make do with just a carry-on.



You might be amazed (or maybe not) with what people were bringing on as carry-ons.    A few years ago dh and I did a week on Maui with just carry-on bags and it was great. But I can't do that any more since I _need_ to bring a bunch of liquids and gels that have to be checked.


----------



## MichaelColey

A few years ago, my wife and I went to Italy for 6 days with JUST a small backpack each. We were in a different city every night, checking out of the B&B and hopping on a train, carrying our backpack as we toured, so we packed very light.  That's my backpack on my shoulder here:


----------



## wackymother

Hobo1 said:


> I have FF status with several airlines (the reward  for many years as a road warrior). My bags fly free  , so even though I have the privilage to board in the first group, I always hang back until the last group is called.
> 
> Why sit and wait in a cramped space while everyone else is boarding and dodge bags, purses, and whatever else fellow passengers try to carry-on?
> 
> I board with the last group, quickly take my pre-assigned seat and avoid having to decline trading seats with someone who wants my exit aisle seat, so they can sit next to someone, for their middle seat in the back of the plane next to the lavatory, and if there are no mechanical or weather problems we're quickly in the air.
> 
> IMHO being the first to board is not a perk even when flying first class.



Here's why you want to get on the plane as soon as you can.

My DD flew Continental from Newark to Puerto Rico last year. When I checked her in online, I was offered the option to upgrade her to first class for just $99, and I took it. 

The flight was delayed four hours. 

When she went to board, they had already passed first class and started on Group 1. Big scary Mom shoved her to the front of the line and she got on. 

When she got onto the plane, it turned out that they had overbooked the entire plane completely, including first class. One man, traveling with a party of four adults, was BUMPED FROM FIRST CLASS!!! I admit I had never heard of such a thing. But there was someone sitting in his seat and her boarding pass was also legit, so apparently Continental told him to get off the plane, since it was totally full. 

So that's why I want to get on that plane first. I figure if my backside is in the seat, I have a better chance of not getting bumped.


----------



## BocaBum99

LisaH said:


> Thanks! I am 1K so I always board with group 1. That's why I have not noticed any changes



I used to be a perennial 1K flyer, but then I moved to Florida where United doesn't have a hub.  So, for the past 10 years, I've pretty much just flown o the cheaper airlines.  I ended up flying a lot of AA and Continental.

With the merge, I am currently at 994,000 actual flight miles on United (and continental).  So, my return flight to Hawaii at the end of May will make me a Million Miler.  That will give my wife and I permanent Premier Gold status.  Can't wait for that.

I have long legs, so I like economy plus.  I also like the free bags and the priority boarding.  The extra miles will be nice.  Every 2 trips from Hawaii to Florida will be a saver fare from Hawaii to the East coast.

What is the first class upgrade program now on United for Gold and 1K flyers?


----------

