Kids Can’t Board Early On United

United Airlines has stopped letting families with small children board flights early in an effort to boost its on-time performance.

However, the policy change by the nation’s largest domestic airline is annoying many passengers.

“I can’t believe they’re doing away with pre-boarding,” said Katherine Lowe, a San Francisco United traveler with small children. “As a mother, you need to have that extra time.”

The change, which became effective June 1, was made quietly. The airline told employees at its airports. But it issued no public announcement, and many of its reservations agents were unaware that traditional pre-boarding had been dropped.

Even United’s Chairman and Chief Executive Gerald Greenwald said he was unaware that pre-boarding of families with small children had been scrapped. He was asked about the issue when he visited The Chronicle’s editorial board yesterday, and he promised to investigate the matter.

In addition to speeding up the boarding process, some industry watchers said, United may be trying to improve relations with its premium frequent fliers, for whom pre-boarding, once a perk, has become more of an inconvenience.

Most airlines have some form of pre-boarding announcement that says “families traveling with small children or anyone needing additional time” are welcome to board early.

United has stopped making that announcement and has refused to allow travelers with small children to board early. However, airline employees are helping the elderly, the disabled and unaccompanied minors get on the plane before others.

“If they need extra time, we’re not going to refuse them,” said United spokeswoman Christina Price.

She said that in the face of the peak travel season, United is “trying to facilitate on-time departures.”

One problem with pre-boarding, say observers, is that a host of passengers seem to think they are entitled to the convenience.

“Every time the flight attendant makes the pre-boarding announcement, the whole lounge jumps up and crowds around the podium,” said Ed Perkins, editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, which tracks the airline industry.

The crush of passengers, many of whom insist they have a need to get on the plane first, defeats the purpose of early boarding.

Even without this rush of travelers, Price said, pre-boarding families with small children slows down the loading process.

“We board the plane from the rear to the front,” she said. “Families who pre-board have strollers and bags that clog the aisles and slow everyone down.”

But Lowe thinks it will be worse without pre-boarding.

“You got the kids falling over your arm, the diaper dropping in the aisle, and now you’re going to have some one behind you trying to push by?” she said. “Why don’t they just give us a few minutes.”

But a few minutes means a lot to United, which is trying to increase its on-time record. The airline was recently ranked fourth among the 10 largest U.S. carriers with an on-time performance of 80.3 percent, according to the Department of Transportation.

To improve its ranking, the airline warned passengers in May that they must show up at least 20 minutes before departure or risk losing their assigned seat and, if the flight is full, get bumped from the flight. The old deadline was 10 minutes before departure.

It’s unclear how many other airlines will follow United’s lead. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said they will continue to pre-board families with children.