Good news for those who love to travel.
A change is headed to United Airlines and it’s something passengers might be “on board” with.
In an update to their boarding procedure that’s set to hit later this month, United travelers who have a window seat or middle seat are boarding earlier than those who possess an aisle seat. The bright idea is an effort to speed up the boarding process, according to reports.
The new procedure was given the name “WILMA” for window, middle, and aisle, and will be implemented, starting Oct. 26, the internal United memo that was obtained by both Travel + Leisure and The Washington Post stated.
So those who possess a window seat will board first, those who have a middle seat will board second, and those who are in an aisle seat will board last, Inc. reported.
Additionally, the great part about this new procedure is it’ll save up to two minutes of boarding time, along with lessening the chances of delays, saving money, and potentially adding flights to their schedule, United Airlines stated, per reports.
Wondering how passengers would go about this new process?
Well, when boarding, United will assign passengers to seven boarding groups and use a preboarding system for certain customers who have diabetes, who are unaccompanied minors, and those who are active-duty military.
After that, first-class and business-class passengers will be able to board. Following are window, exit row seats and nonrevenue passengers. Then middle and aisle seats will board. The last boarding group will be reserved for basic economy on domestic flights, along with those who don’t have a boarding group on their pass, the memo stated, per The Washington Post.
It’s a win-win for all.
“It is one of those situations where what’s good for the airline would probably also be good for travelers,” Scott Keyes, the founder of Going, a travel membership that helps people locate flight and travel deals, said to The Washington Post. “That’s not always the case many times, it’s more of a zero-sum thing — but I think systems that allow airlines to board more efficiently is a win-win.”
A United spokesperson confirmed with Travel + Leisure that the boarding system, “WILMA,” was first used before 2017 when the airline introduced its carry-on restricted basic economy fare, where technical advancements have now allowed United to bring it back.
Back then, United Airlines limited its boarding to five groups instead of seven.
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