United Airlines to Speed Up Boarding with Window Seat Priority
United Airlines is set to revolutionize the way passengers board its flights, with a new policy that prioritizes window seat passengers, aiming to make the process more efficient. Starting next week, this change will be implemented, following successful testing at domestic locations and hub airports.
The innovative boarding strategy, known as "Wilma" (standing for window, middle, aisle), is poised to cut boarding times. During trials, it saved up to two precious minutes per flight, according to the airline.
Under this new system, passengers will board in the following sequence: window seat occupants first, followed by middle seat travelers, and, finally, those seated in the aisle.
It's worth noting that passengers traveling together, such as families with young children, who are on the same economy reservation, will still have the opportunity to board together.
United Airlines is keen to emphasize that their current boarding procedures for passengers with disabilities, unaccompanied children, and active military duty personnel will remain unchanged.
The alterations in the boarding process will not affect customers in first class and business class; they will experience no changes to their current boarding routine.
While the specifics regarding which international flights will adopt this new policy are not yet clear, it will be introduced on both US domestic flights and select international routes.
As the third-largest airline globally, with a vast fleet and an extensive route network, United Airlines serves a staggering 800 destinations worldwide and operates from eight major hub airports within the United States. Additionally, the airline offers flights to more than 340 destinations from the UK.
United Airlines has announced that it will officially implement its new boarding scheme beginning on October 26.