United Airlines, a major player in the aviation industry, is implementing an innovative approach to streamline the boarding process for its economy passengers. Commencing next week, passengers in window seats will be among the first to board the aircraft, with the aim of reducing overall boarding time. This change is part of a method called ‘Wilma’ – Window, Middle, and Aisle, which is expected to shave up to two minutes off the boarding process.
The ‘Wilma’ Boarding Method:
United Airlines is adopting the ‘Wilma’ boarding method to enhance efficiency. Passengers seated at window spots will board first, followed by those in middle seats and, finally, those in aisle seats. This approach aims to optimize the flow of passengers onto the plane.
Group and Family Consideration:
While the ‘Wilma’ method primarily focuses on seat locations, United Airlines recognizes the importance of accommodating groups or families traveling together on a single booking. Such groups will still be allowed to board together.
Exemptions and Special Passengers:
This boarding adjustment applies exclusively to economy passengers. Business-class and first-class travelers will continue to board using the current method. Passengers with disabilities, unaccompanied minors, and active-duty military personnel will not be subjected to changes in the boarding process.
Reintroduction of the ‘Wilma’ Method:
United Airlines used the ‘Wilma’ method until 2017 but shifted to a new basic economy seating procedure due to a computer system that only supported a five-group boarding structure. The airline is now reintroducing ‘Wilma’ with the assistance of new technology that can accommodate more than five boarding groups.
Operational Impact:
Although the time saved may seem minimal, optimizing the boarding process can have a significant impact on flight punctuality. It can contribute to flights departing on time or even early, potentially saving the airline from penalties associated with flight delays.
Implementation Date:
United Airlines is set to implement the ‘Wilma’ boarding method on domestic flights and select international flights starting from October 26.
Expansion of Flight Services:
This change in boarding procedure aligns with United Airlines’ plans to expand its flight services. The airline is increasing its flight frequency between various destinations, including the US, New Zealand, and Australia, as part of its efforts to provide more travel options to passengers.
United Airlines is aiming to enhance the passenger experience and punctuality with these innovative boarding adjustments.
FAQs – United Airlines Window Seat Boarding Method
Q1: What is the new boarding method United Airlines is implementing for its economy passengers?
A1: United Airlines will introduce a boarding method called ‘Wilma,’ which prioritizes window seat passengers, followed by those in middle seats and aisle seats, in an effort to expedite the boarding process.
Q2: What is the goal of this new boarding method?
A2: The primary objective of the ‘Wilma’ method is to reduce overall boarding time by up to two minutes, which can have a positive impact on flight punctuality.
Q3: Will passengers traveling in groups or as families still be able to board together under this new method?
A3: Yes, United Airlines will allow passengers traveling together on a single booking to board as a group, even if they are seated in different seat categories.
Q4: Does this boarding change affect business-class and first-class passengers?
A4: No, the ‘Wilma’ boarding method applies exclusively to economy passengers. Business-class and first-class passengers will continue to board using the existing method.
Q5: Are there any exemptions for passengers with special needs or circumstances?
A5: Passengers with disabilities, unaccompanied minors, and active-duty military personnel will not experience changes in the boarding process.
Q6: Why is United Airlines reintroducing the ‘Wilma’ method when it was discontinued in 2017?
A6: United Airlines is reintroducing ‘Wilma’ due to advancements in technology that now support more than five boarding groups, making it a more viable and efficient method.
Q7: How does optimizing the boarding process impact flight punctuality?
A7: Streamlining the boarding process can contribute to flights departing on time or even ahead of schedule, potentially saving the airline from penalties associated with flight delays.
Q8: When will United Airlines start implementing the ‘Wilma’ boarding method?
A8: The ‘Wilma’ boarding method will be introduced on domestic flights and select international flights starting from October 26.
Q9: Is this change related to United Airlines’ plans for expanding flight services?
A9: Yes, the new boarding method aligns with United Airlines’ strategy to increase flight frequency between various destinations, such as the US, New Zealand, and Australia, to offer passengers more travel options.
Feel free to ask for further information or clarification on any of these topics.
Destinations to Plan the Trip from United Airlines:
Country or Territory | City | Airport | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Antigua and Barbuda | Coolidge | V. C. Bird International Airport | Active |
Argentina | Buenos Aires | Ministro Pistarini International Airport | Active |
Aruba | Oranjestad | Queen Beatrix International Airport | Active |
Australia | Brisbane | Brisbane Airport | Active |
Australia | Cairns | Cairns Airport | Terminated |
Australia | Melbourne | Melbourne Airport | Active |
Australia | Sydney | Sydney Airport | Active |
Bahamas | Nassau | Lynden Pindling International Airport | Active |
Bahrain | Manama | Bahrain International Airport | Terminated |
Barbados | Bridgetown | Grantley Adams International Airport | Seasonal |
Belgium | Brussels | Brussels Airport | Active |
Belize | Belize City | Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport | Active |
Bermuda | Hamilton | L.F. Wade International Airport | Seasonal |
Bonaire | Kralendijk | Flamingo International Airport | Active |
Brazil | Belo Horizonte | Tancredo Neves International Airport | Terminated |
Brazil | Rio de Janeiro | Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport | Active |
Brazil | São Paulo | São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport | Active |
Canada | Calgary | Calgary International Airport | Active |
Canada | Edmonton | Edmonton International Airport | Active |
Canada | Halifax | Halifax Stanfield International Airport | Terminated |
Canada | Montreal | Montréal–Trudeau International Airport | Active |
Canada | Ottawa | Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport | Active |
Canada | St. John’s | St. John’s International Airport | Terminated |
Canada | Toronto | Toronto Pearson International Airport | Active |
Canada | Vancouver | Vancouver International Airport | Active |
Canada | Victoria | Victoria International Airport | Terminated |
Cayman Islands | Grand Cayman | Owen Roberts International Airport | Active |
Chile | Santiago | Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport | Active |
China | Beijing | Beijing Capital International Airport | Active |
China | Chengdu | Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport | Terminated |
China | Hangzhou | Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport | Terminated |
China | Shanghai | Shanghai Pudong International Airport | Active |
China | Xi’an | Xi’an Xianyang International Airport | Terminated |
Colombia | Bogotá | El Dorado International Airport | Active |
Costa Rica | Liberia | Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport | Active |
Costa Rica | San José | Juan Santamaría International Airport | Active |
Croatia | Dubrovnik | Dubrovnik Airport | Seasonal |
Cuba | Havana | José Martí International Airport | Active |
Curaçao | Willemstad | Curaçao International Airport | Seasonal |
Denmark | Copenhagen | Copenhagen Airport | Terminated |
Dominican Republic | Puerto Plata | Gregorio Luperón International Airport | Active |
Dominican Republic | Punta Cana | Punta Cana International Airport | Active |
Dominican Republic | Santiago de los Caballeros | Cibao International Airport | Active |
Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | Las Américas International Airport | Active |
Ecuador | Quito | Mariscal Sucre International Airport | Active |
El Salvador | San Salvador | El Salvador International Airport | Active |
Federated States of Micronesia | Chuuk | Chuuk International Airport | Active |
Federated States of Micronesia | Kosrae | Kosrae International Airport | Active |
Federated States of Micronesia | Pohnpei | Pohnpei International Airport | Active |
Federated States of Micronesia | Yap | Yap International Airport | Active |
France | Nice | Nice Côte d’Azur Airport | Seasonal |
France | Paris | Charles de Gaulle Airport | Active |
French Polynesia | Papeete | Faa’a International Airport | Active |
Germany | Berlin | Berlin Brandenburg Airport | Active |
Germany | Berlin | Berlin Tegel Airport | Airport Closed |
Germany | Düsseldorf | Düsseldorf Airport | Terminated |
Germany | Frankfurt | Frankfurt Airport | Active |
Germany | Hamburg | Hamburg Airport | Terminated |
Germany | Munich | Munich Airport | Active |
Germany | Stuttgart | Stuttgart Airport | Terminated |
Ghana | Accra | Kotoka International Airport | Active |
Greece | Athens | Athens International Airport | Seasonal |
Guatemala | Guatemala City | La Aurora International Airport | Active |
Haiti | Port-au-Prince | Toussaint Louverture International Airport | Terminated |
Honduras | Roatán | Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport | Active |
Honduras | San Pedro Sula | Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport | Active |
Honduras | Tegucigalpa | Comayagua International Airport | Active |
Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Hong Kong International Airport | Active |
Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Kai Tak Airport | Airport Closed |
Iceland | Reykjavik | Keflavík International Airport | Seasonal |
India | Delhi | Indira Gandhi International Airport | Active |
India | Mumbai | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport | Resumes March 29, 2024 |
Ireland | Dublin | Dublin Airport | Active |
Ireland | Shannon | Shannon Airport | Seasonal |
Israel | Tel Aviv | Ben Gurion Airport | Active |
Italy | Milan | Milan Malpensa Airport | Active |
Italy | Naples | Naples International Airport | Seasonal |
Italy | Rome | Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport | Active |
Italy | Venice | Venice Marco Polo Airport | Seasonal |
Jamaica | Kingston | Norman Manley International Airport | Active |
Jamaica | Montego Bay | Sangster International Airport | Active |
Japan | Fukuoka | Fukuoka Airport | Active |
Japan | Nagoya | Chubu Centrair International Airport | Active |
Japan | Osaka | Kansai International Airport | Active |
Japan | Sapporo | New Chitose Airport | Active |
Japan | Tokyo | Narita International Airport | Active |
Japan | Tokyo | Haneda Airport | Active |
Jordan | Amman | Queen Alia International Airport | Active |
Kenya | Nairobi | Jomo Kenyatta International Airport | Active |
Kuwait | Kuwait City | Kuwait International Airport | Active |
Lebanon | Beirut | Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport | Active |
Luxembourg | Luxembourg City | Luxembourg Airport | Active |
Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur International Airport | Active |
Malta | Luqa | Malta International Airport | Active |
Mexico | Cancún | Cancún International Airport | Active |
Mexico | Mexico City | Mexico City International Airport | Active |
Mexico | Guadalajara | Guadalajara International Airport | Active |
Mexico | Monterrey | Monterrey International Airport | Active |
Mexico | Tijuana | Tijuana International Airport | Active |
Monaco | Monaco | Monaco Heliport | Active |
Morocco | Casablanca | Mohammed V International Airport | Active |
Morocco | Marrakech | Marrakesh Menara Airport | Active |
Netherlands | Amsterdam | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | Active |
Netherlands | Eindhoven | Eindhoven Airport | Active |
Netherlands | Rotterdam | Rotterdam The Hague Airport | Active |
New Zealand | Auckland | Auckland Airport | Active |
New Zealand | Christchurch | Christchurch International Airport | Active |
New Zealand | Queenstown | Queenstown Airport | Active |
New Zealand | Wellington | Wellington Airport | Active |
Nigeria | Abuja | Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport | Active |
Nigeria | Lagos | Murtala Muhammed International Airport | Active |
Norway | Oslo | Oslo Gardermoen Airport | Active |
Panama | Panama City | Tocumen International Airport | Active |
Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby | Jacksons International Airport | Active |
Paraguay | Asunción | Silvio Pettirossi International Airport | Active |
Peru | Lima | Jorge Chávez International Airport | Active |
Philippines | Cebu | Mactan–Cebu International Airport | Active |
Philippines | Manila | Ninoy Aquino International Airport | Active |
Poland | Warsaw | Warsaw Chopin Airport | Active |
Portugal | Faro | Faro Airport | Seasonal |
Portugal | Funchal | Madeira Airport | Seasonal |
Portugal | Lisbon | Lisbon Portela Airport | Active |
Portugal | Porto | Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport | Active |
Puerto Rico | Aguadilla | Rafael Hernández International Airport | Active |
Puerto Rico | San Juan | Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport | Active |
Qatar | Doha | Hamad International Airport | Active |
Romania | Bucharest | Henri Coandă International Airport | Active |
Russia | Moscow | Sheremetyevo International Airport | Active |
Russia | Saint Petersburg | Pulkovo Airport | Active |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Basseterre | Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport | Active |
Saint Lucia | Castries | Hewanorra International Airport | Active |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Kingstown | Argyle International Airport | Active |
Saudi Arabia | Dammam | King Fahd International Airport | Active |
Saudi Arabia | Jeddah | King Abdulaziz International Airport | Active |
Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | King Khalid International Airport | Active |
Singapore | Singapore | Singapore Changi Airport | Active |
Sint Maarten | Philipsburg | Princess Juliana International Airport | Active |
South Africa | Cape Town | Cape Town International Airport | Active |
South Africa | Durban | King Shaka International Airport | Active |
South Africa | Johannesburg | O.R. Tambo International Airport | Active |
South Korea | Busan | Gimhae International Airport | Active |
South Korea | Incheon | Incheon International Airport | Active |
Spain | Barcelona | Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport | Active |
Spain | Ibiza | Ibiza Airport | Seasonal |
Spain | Madrid | Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport | Active |
Spain | Palma de Mallorca | Palma de Mallorca Airport | Seasonal |
Spain | Tenerife | Tenerife South Airport | Seasonal |
Spain | Valencia | Valencia Airport | Seasonal |
Sweden | Stockholm | Stockholm Arlanda Airport | Active |
Switzerland | Geneva | Geneva Airport | Active |
Switzerland | Zurich | Zurich Airport | Active |
Taiwan | Taipei | Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport | Active |
Thailand | Bangkok | Suvarnabhumi Airport | Active |
Thailand | Phuket | Phuket International Airport | Active |
Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain | Piarco International Airport | Active |
Trinidad and Tobago | Tobago | Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson International Airport | Active |
Turkey | Istanbul | Istanbul Airport | Active |
Turks and Caicos Islands | Providenciales | Providenciales International Airport | Active |
Ukraine | Kyiv | Boryspil International Airport | Active |
Ukraine | Lviv | Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport | Active |
Ukraine | Odesa | Odesa International Airport | Active |
United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi International Airport | Active |
United Arab Emirates | Dubai | Dubai International Airport | Active |
United Kingdom | London | London Heathrow Airport | Active |
United Kingdom | London | London Gatwick Airport | Active |
United Kingdom | Manchester | Manchester Airport | Active |
United States | Atlanta | Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport | Active |
United States | Boston | Logan International Airport | Active |
United States | Chicago | O’Hare International Airport | Active |
United States | Dallas | Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport | Active |
United States | Denver | Denver International Airport | Active |
United States | Honolulu | Daniel K. Inouye International Airport | Active |
United States | Houston | George Bush Intercontinental Airport | Active |
United States | Las Vegas | McCarran International Airport | Active |
United States | Los Angeles | Los Angeles International Airport | Active |
United States | Miami | Miami International Airport | Active |
United States | New York City | John F. Kennedy International Airport | Active |
United States | Orlando | Orlando International Airport | Active |
United States | Phoenix | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport | Active |
United States | San Francisco | San Francisco International Airport | Active |
United States | Seattle | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport | Active |
United States | Washington, D.C. | Washington Dulles International Airport | Active |
Uruguay | Montevideo | Carrasco International Airport | Active |
U.S. Virgin Islands | Charlotte Amalie | Cyril E. King Airport | Active |
U.S. Virgin Islands | St. Croix | Henry E. Rohlsen Airport | Active |
U.S. Virgin Islands | St. Thomas | Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base | Active |
Vatican City | Vatican City | Vatican City Heliport | Active |
Venezuela | Caracas | Simón Bolívar International Airport | Active |
Vietnam | Hanoi | Noi Bai International Airport | Active |
Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City | Tan Son Nhat International Airport | Active |
Yemen | Aden | Aden International Airport | Active |
Zambia | Lusaka | Kenneth Kaunda International Airport | Active |
Zimbabwe | Harare | Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport | Active |
Please note that the status information may change over time, and it’s always a good idea to verify the status of an airport with the relevant authorities before planning your travel.
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