Partial to the Window Seat? One Major U.S. Airline Has Good News for You. Window seat flyers are getting an upgrade as United Airlines revamps its boarding process.

By Sam Silverman

Key Takeaways

  • United Airlines is changing its boarding process.
  • The new plan is expected to cut two minutes from boarding times and will go into effect on October 26.

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Window seat flyers at one airline will now get a major perk — besides a view from the top.

United Airlines is revamping its boarding process and plans to board economy passengers with window seat tickets first before middle- and aisle-seat passengers to speed things along, according to a company internal memo obtained by The New York Times.

The new plan is expected to cut two minutes from boarding times and will go into effect on all domestic flights (and a few international trips) on October 26.

RELATED: Airlines Are Finally Fixing the Shrunken Seats That Make Flying So Miserable — Here's What to Expect

The new boarding style – known as the WILMA method – boards in order of seating with window first, middle second, and aisle seats last.

United is implementing the new strategy after testing its effectiveness at five airports — beginning in 2017 — and found that it could successfully reduce boarding time.

Despite the new change, families will still be allowed to board together. Those who purchased first and business-class seats will be omitted from the boarding shake-up and will still be allowed to board first, along with those who qualify for preboarding, including people with disabilities and unaccompanied minors.

RELATED: United Airlines CEO Apologizes for Private Jet Use Amid Weather Disruptions and Flight Delays

Following the news, social media users had mixed reactions.
Sam Silverman

Content Strategy Editor

Sam Silverman is a content strategy editor at BIZ Experiences Media. She specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), and her work can be found in The US Sun, Nicki Swift, In Touch Weekly, Life & Style and Health. She writes for our news team with a focus on investigating scandals. Her coverage and expertise span from business news, BIZ Experiencesship, technology, and true crime, to the latest in entertainment and TV news. Sam is a graduate of Lehigh University and currently resides in NYC. 

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