United Airlines will board passengers by window, middle, then aisle seats
United Airlines is changing its boarding policy for economy class passengers to speed up the boarding process. Starting from October 26, passengers with basic economy tickets and window seats will board first, followed by those with middle seats and then aisle seats.
The change is expected to reduce boarding times by up to two minutes. The new policy will only apply to U.S. domestic flights and flights from the U.S. to the Caribbean, Canada, and some Central and South American cities.
The pre-boarding process for groups such as unaccompanied minors, people with disabilities, families with small children, and active-duty military members will remain unchanged.
How much time is United Airlines estimating to save with the new boarding policy?
United Airlines estimates that the new boarding policy will cut boarding time by up to two minutes. This estimation was shared by United Airlines with NPR on Thursday. The airline tested the new policy, known as WILMA, at five airports and found that it was faster.
