United Airlines, a Chicago-based company, is set to reintroduce the WILMA boarding process on October 26. This boarding procedure, indicating order of boarding as window, middle, and aisle, is projected to shave around two minutes off each flight's boarding time, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. The airline last applied the WILMA technique extensively in 2017, discontinuing it with the roll-out of the Basic Economy option, which imposed carry-on limitations.
"Passenger-centric" is how Joe Leader, CEO of the Airline Passenger Experience Association, described the WILMA boarding process. This was reported by NBC Chicago. According to Leader, the current "seat shuffle" is inefficient and is optimistic that this change will lead to a smoother passenger experience. Boarding priority will remain unaffected and continue to prioritize first class, business class, exit rows, and cardholders, with no alterations planned for preboarding passengers, such as those with disabilities and families with young children.
The revised plan covers all domestic flights, and some international flights will implement the new system where passengers with window seats board first. They will be followed by middle seat passengers and finally, those in aisle seats. Families or groups traveling under one reservation can board together. This means that if one member holds a window seat, the entire group can board concurrently, even if they possess middle or aisle seats.
Despite the new process appearing beneficial, passengers that prefer aisle seats may need to be extra patient. Maria Diaz noted to the Chicago Sun-Times that these passengers could experience frustration due to limited overhead bin space. On the other hand, her sister, Andrea Diaz, supports WILMA as a method that could streamline boarding and decrease the inconvenience caused by moving passengers who are already seated to accommodate those in window seats. Windy City Travel's president, Lynn Farrell, aligns with this viewpoint, asserting that it’s unlikely to significantly impact travelers and recommends passengers concerned about overhead bin space to participate in the airline's frequent flyer program to secure earlier boarding.
