r/unitedairlines

Specifically Newark EWR airport. I saw online that there’s a United counter you can go at all US airports with your passport and ask for a gate pass to accompany minors and seniors, but I’ve also seen old posts of people saying it’s airport dependent which is confusing.

My dad is pretty old and knows zero English but he needs to go back home next month. I’d rather not buy an entire flight for myself just to take him because it’s so expensive nowadays, and he pretty much knows what to do once he arrives at the airport in his home country, so I’m really only needed for the stuff here in America.

So I’m wondering if anyone has successfully done gotten a gate pass and accompanied a family member?

I have a feeling that this has been raised before but still feel strongly to add my voice again, partly because I am pretty tied to United for my travel needs and really want to see an improvement in the boarding process.

United truly needs to redesign the boarding groups.

I had to fly Delta three times recently due to work schedule and a vacation stop without United service. In my opinion, Delta’s 8-zone system is way better than the current chaos with United.

United needs to realize that the two jargons “Global Service” and “1K” do not make any sense to non-frequent UA fliers (just as I can’t remember Delta tiers). These non-frequent fliers are the exact ones who need to understand what the jargon means on the tiny black sign with little fonts of 5 categories. They are often in group 3-6 and there is no signage for their groups to line up (unlike DL lists all zones in two separate lanes). So whenever they see groups 1 and 2 start to line up, they become anxious and decide to congregate in the boarding area, usually near that little tiny preboarding sign. Then the gate agent starts to call out the long names of preboarding groups, and suddenly some people become disabled, some decide they will enlist, running children become babies, and more just believe that the agent is calling them strange names to serve the world or whatever “1K” means.

I’ve become desensitized to such chaos until I flew Delta flights recently. Shockingly, most people stayed seated until their zone was called. Having absolutely no status there, I witness the orderly boarding from zone 5. I didn’t need to understand what the top-tiers are called because they are already assigned into zone 1 and 2. So are active military personnel, babies, and people with true disability—all of which the airlines should already know at booking. So, when I joined the next United boarding again I wondered why United cannot do a simple renaming of groups to improve the process.

Just put the current preboarding groups into a few numbered groups. You can combine a few of them like Group 1 for disabilities and babies, Group 2 for GS, Group 3 for active military, Group 4 for 1K (which is sometimes the biggest group these days). Then continue with the general boarding groups from Group 5 onward.

A simple fix. I can’t think of any reason why this cannot be done. If some 1K people have such a strong ego that they must have “1” on their boarding pass, then they can ask to be put in Group 11 or 111. No?

I’ve applied for and gotten a handful of Money + Miles upgrades to Polaris in the last few months.

I was checking my mileage activity and turns out I was only getting PQP for the miles portion of the upgrade.

For example: if the upgrade was 30,000 miles + 550 USD, I was only getting 300 PQP (corresponding to the miles) but nothing for the cash paid.

I just called United MileagePlus support and they awarded the PQP corresponding to the cash portion for all the legs. It nicely got me over to Gold next year again. Didn’t get to ask if this was a glitch or if you’re expected to always call to get those PQP annotated.

So, if you have gotten Money + Miles upgrades, check your mileage activity because you may be down several PQP.

Dear lord grant those of us who travel a lot for work the patience to deal with all the holiday travelers today. I have to be somewhere early Monday morning.

🙄

This is going to be my constant expression today.

And god bless the gate agents.

What’s the status? It’s been delayed for more than 12 hrs and it’s still showing 30 min delayed departure every 30 min. Have you all boarded or there’s still no crew?

EWR to MXP flight.
I paid for economy for my daughter and I.
Used points to pay for my wife and son.
Looking at Premium Plus upgrades.
It is showing $389 for my wife and son. (XN fare)
But showing $558 for my daughter and I. (L fare)

Why is there such a difference?

I’m thinking about using miles to cover the $558 for my daughter and me, and cash for wife and son.

I’m worried that if I book 2 of the seats, could that drive the price up for the other 2 since it limits availability?

I’ll be Gold by the time we fly. That could help my daughter and me, but wife and son are on a different ticket from me. So likely no status. Not sure if that helps at all.

If premium plus doesn’t work out I’ll do economy plus using the 2 free upgrades from the credit card for wife and son. Then use my gold status to get economy plus during check in.

Appreciate any insight / strategy from this group!

Edited to add Fare Type…

My son was flying from Boston to Madison, WI, with a connection in Newark. He arrived at the airport well before his flight, and his bag was checked. At the gate he was called to the desk and told he was now connecting at O'Hare. He was told that the gate agent would take care of his checked bag (whatever that meant).

Anyway, a long ground stop in Chicago because of weather dalayed his departure from Boston. He is now paying for a night at an airport hotel in Chicago. On top of that, Air Tag tracking shows that his bag, which had been tagged for his original itinerary is sitting in Newark and was not loaded on the flight to Madison.

Doesn't United ask for passengers to be bumped and offer compensation for it? Can they just eject a passenger from a flight? And will they refuse to put his bag on a plane because he's not on it?

I am 16 and traveling domestically as an unaccompanied minor and I just wanted to know if I can check in with my learners permit? I’m in florida and I was told as long as my ID has a star then it’s fine but I just want to be safe. And I’ve seen people say I don’t need ID at all but how am I supposed to check in then? Also I’d like to preface that I am traveling without the assistance of the airline so my parents will not be checking in for me. Or do they still have to?