It's not personal—it's business. Here's how airlines make their boarding group strategies, and what you can do about it. Credit cards, loyalty programs, cabin class, and ticket spend can all dictate when you get on the plane.
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Groups 1 and 2 are made up of passengers with elite status in MileagePlus and partner programs, as well as those passengers seated in premium cabins. Group 2 also includes United co-branded credit card members and passengers who have purchased Priority Boarding. Group 3 includes passengers in window seats.
Group 4 is considered priority boarding on American Airlines. Eligible passengers include elite flyers holder AA Gold or Oneworld Ruby status, as well as AirPass travelers, premium economy ticket holders, travelers who bought priority boarding and eligible corporate travelers.
Unless the gate agent is a real jerk, or you are, the worst that can happen is that you'll be told to wait for your own group. Sometimes you may slil through and be allowed to board while on other occasions the gate agent may ask you to wait until your boarding group is called.
Checking in 24 hours before your flight will usually land you somewhere in the B boarding group — which is generally adequate to find either a window or aisle seat or 2 seats together if you are flying with a companion.
Group 5 is not priority boarding on American Airlines, but Preferred boarding. This group includes passengers that pay for Main Cabin Extra perks, as well as those who hold co-branded AAdvantage airline credit cards.
Group 4: Passengers in Premium economy and paying for priority access, AAdvantage Gold, oneworld Ruby status holders, Citi/AAdvantage Executive cardholders, and select corporate travelers.
Book a main cabin extra seat and don't fly basic economyIf you want to board a little sooner, your next option is to book a main cabin extra seat, which is named differently depending on the airline. You can buy these seats online or at the check-in counter.
Right after passengers holding tickets with priority boarding (Groups 1 through 4) get on the plane, Group 5 (preferred boarding) goes next. To board in Group 5, you either need to purchase a main cabin extra upgrade or hold an eligible American Airlines credit card.
The Spirit boarding zonesZone 1: Gold elite members. Zone 2: Silver elite members, those who have purchased shortcut boarding or carry-on bags and co-branded credit card holders. Zone 3: Passengers sitting at the rear of the plane. Zone 4: Passengers sitting at the front of the plane.
Front row if first class. Airplanes empty from the seats nearest the doors. In many planes that's the location. Some larger long distance planes board between first class and the next lowest class.
After preboarding is complete, first-class ticketed passengers are the first boarding group. Then the process continues, in alphabetical order, beginning with Group A and ending with Group E.
If you end up with A1, then it's your lucky day — you'll likely get to be the first passenger on the plane. There may be some exceptions for people with certain disabilities, pre-boarders or people on an earlier connecting flight. If you like to be the first on the plane, aiming for boarding group A is a good idea.
Group 1. After pre-boarding, United boards Group 1, which includes those with United Premier Platinum and Gold status, passengers with Star Alliance Gold status and customers seated in the United Polaris, first and business class cabins.
Groups 1 and 2 are made up of passengers with elite status in MileagePlus and partner programs, as well as those passengers seated in premium cabins. Group 2 also includes United co-branded credit card members and passengers who have purchased Priority Boarding. Group 3 includes passengers in window seats.
There are nine boarding groups on American Airlines. These range from Group 1 — reserved for premium class passengers and elite flyers — to Group 9 — reserved for basic economy passengers within the U.S., Canada, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.