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Ask Jake | Priority Boarding Explained

Jake Redman February 28, 2013

Bill in Dallas, TX asks: “I’ve noticed that some airlines offer early boarding as an a-la-carte option. Does this get me any extra perks and when exactly can I expect to board?”. Find the answer in the video and read more on priority boarding in the text.

Delta Sky Priority Boarding Lane — You’ll be the King or Queen of coach with your temporary status. – Delta’s Priority Boarding Lane.

In recent years, catching a flight to your desired destination has become a hassle. As travelers we are faced with a longer and more extensive screening process that requires us to show up for flights hours in advance, and wait in endless lines. Some of this stress can be relieved with priority boarding, which allows certain groups to be seated on the plane first without having to endure an extended wait time at the gate.

Each of the major airlines that you can book your flight with handles their boarding differently. Here, we’ll look at some of the most popular airlines based in the United States (American Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, Delta Airways, and AirTran) and their boarding process. Finally, we’ll show which airlines allow you to purchase the luxury of boarding earlier. Boarding Process by Airline (as of Feb. 2013):

American Airlines divides the plane into sectioned rows and boards from the rear to the front. Preferred groups are boarded first.

Preferred Groups: First Class, Uniformed Military, AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum, Priority AAccess, oneworld Emerald, oneworld Ruby, Group 1.
Groups 2-4 are boarded based on seating.

United Airlines boards their planes by boarding groups numbered 1 through 5, which are printed on the boarding pass.

Pre-Boarding: Global Services members, Uniformed Military.
Group 1 (Premier Access Boarding): Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, Premium Cabins.
Group 2 (Premier Access Boarding): Premier Gold and Silver, Star Alliance Gold and Silver, Mileage Plus Club, Explorer,and Awards Card members, Presidential Plus Card Members.
Groups 3-5: General Boarding by seating.

US Airways

Preferred Access: First Class, Dividend Miles Preferred Members, Star Alliance Gold Members.
Zone 1: Bulkhead seats; Exit Row seats (with no under-seat storage).
Zone 2: US Airways Premier World MasterCard Holders, US Airways Visa Signature Card Holders, ChoiceSeats, Exit Row Seats (with under-seat storage).
Zones 3-5: Remaining passengers are boarded from the rear to the front of the plane.

AirTran boards passengers in a rotating zone system that alternates the rear and the front rows of the plane with boarding preference for Business Class.

Group 1: Business Class
Group 2: The last five rows of coach.
Group 3: The first five rows of coach.
Group 4: The second to last set of five rows of coach.
Remaining Groups: This process is continued until all passengers are seated.

Delta separates their passengers into zones as follows:

Zone “PREM”: First Class .
Zone “SKYPRI”: Highest level elite Delta Frequent Flyers and upper-elite members of SkyTeam alliance and other partner airlines.
Zone 1: Lower level (Silver) Delta, SkyTeam and partner elite frequent fliers. Delta SkyMiles branded American Express Card holders..
Zones 2+: The remainder of passengers are seated in blocks from the rear to the front of the plane.

How to Purchase Boarding with Priority American Airlines: You can purchase YourChoice priority boarding for $9, which will place you in Group 1. United Airlines: For $9+ you can purchase Premier Line privileges, which not only gives you priority when boarding, but gets you through baggage and security faster. AirTran: $10 will buy you a priority status that allows you to board with Group 2, just after the Business Class passengers. US Airways: ChoiceSeats are available for an additional charge for boarding priority with Zone 2. If you don’t have a rewards card or a membership with one of these airlines, the small fee to purchase a priority status for your flight may be worth it to save time, avoid the crowds, and have some peace of mind.

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Jake Redman

Modhop Host & Founder Jake Redman brings years of global exploration and travel tips to the podcast and our videos at Modhop. Jake is also a Producer and Host for SiriusXM.

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