Boarding flights in the United States can be a bit of a circus, given the extent to which the process is largely optimized around maximizing ancillary and credit card revenue, and stroking the egos of elite members. rather than just getting everyone on as efficiently as possible.
Well, here’s one of the most ridiculous boarding interactions I’ve seen in quite some time, as flagged by View from the Wing, because it sure feels like the frequent flyer should know better…
United Global Services member begs “let me go first!”
A video has been posted online that was reportedly taken on January 2, 2026, which involves a rather humorous (or sad?) interaction at the boarding gate of a United Airlines flight.
Specifically, United has quite a few groups of passengers eligible for pre-boarding, and customers with disabilities, those flying with children under the age of two, active military members, and Global Services and Premier 1K members, are all allowed to pre-board.
In this situation, a passenger who is reportedly a member of United’s invitation-only Global Services status can be seen at the boarding gate behind a family with two small children.
The Global Services member seemingly isn’t happy that the family is boarding before him:
- The video picks up as he’s confronting the father, as the father says “they literally called everyone,” and the Global Services member responds “no, they didn’t call everyone”
- The Global Services member then begs the gate agent, “would you let me go before them, please?”
- The passenger filming the interaction then confronts the Global Services member, saying “hey, what’s up with you,” to which the Global Services member responds “there’s an order!”
Elite status really brings out the worst in some people
I’m all for airlines enforcing their published boarding priority, but this has to be one of the saddest objections that I’ve seen to a boarding process in a very long time.
I know that United calls some pre-boarding groups separately (like Global Services members can board before Premier 1K members), but I believe families are actually entitled to board with Global Services members (someone correct me if I’m wrong?). At a minimum, I suspect that the gate agent called families and Global Services at the same time, based on how this interaction plays out.
Regardless, there’s something really sad about a man literally begging to be able to board first rather than second. Like, it almost makes it sadder how polite he is about it — “would you let me go before them, please?”
It really seems like this guy is suffering from not seeing the forest from the trees — the point of pre-boarding is to make sure there’s space for your carry-on, and not necessarily that you’re the very first person on the plane. And to show such lack of courtesy to a family is even worse.
If the Global Services member is so concerned about the rules, maybe he should focus more on the size of his carry-on, which is most definitely not within the allowed dimensions. But I suspect with this level of elite status, there’s a certain “rules for thee, but not for me” attitude.
I will say, I do think United’s overly complicated boarding process contributes to this kind of behavior, as the airline really takes things to the next level when it comes to coddling elite members, and creating endless boarding groups.
Bottom line
A United Global Services member got angry after a family was allowed to board before him. Both sets of passengers are eligible for pre-boarding, but he begged the gate agent — “would you let me go before them, please?” It seems kind of sad to object to being second on board, rather than first, no?
What do you make of this United Global Services boarding interaction?
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