Flying in first class does not guarantee class, and holding elite airline status often seems to confer a sense of self-importance rather than actual importance. A recent United Airlines boarding incident illustrates that point perfectly.
United Global Services Member Demands To Board Before Family, Causes Scene At Gate
A wild video circulating online captures one of the most cringe-worthy pre-boarding moments I’ve seen in quite some time: a United Airlines Global Services member visibly upset that a family with young children was boarding before him, to the point where he repeatedly pressed the gate agent to let him go first.
For context, United allows multiple categories of passengers to pre-board, including families traveling with young children and Global Services members, the airline’s invitation-only top elite tier.
However United boards Global Services before families, at least officially.
Specifically, United begins with customers with disabilities, then military, then Global Services, then those flying with children two or younger, and finally Premier 1K members. I saw no deviation from that order in all of my flying on United in 2025, which was quite significant.
Thus, the Global Services passenger insisted his status entitled him to step ahead of the family.
The family calmly explained that all eligible pre-boarding passengers had been invited forward, but that did little to defuse the situation. The elite traveler continued pressing his case, treating the moment as if it were some grave violation of airline protocol rather than a routine boarding process for a flight that would not depart until all passengers were onboard…
What makes the interaction especially ironic is that pre-boarding is meant to reduce stress, not create it. The goal is to give passengers extra time to settle in, not to provide a stage for performative entitlement as we see in the video above. Being first versus second onto the aircraft has no meaningful impact on the journey, yet this entitled man behaved as if something fundamental had been taken from him!
United’s boarding process, like many airlines, has grown increasingly complex, with overlapping privileges from status tiers, credit cards, and family accommodations. Even so, if he’s any sort of frequent flyer (which is not a given since United comps Global Services status to certain high-value customers and other VIPs), he should realize that if he missed his chance to board first, he cannot just cut in front of other pre-boarders after they are invited to board.
At one point in the video, another passenger calls out the Global Services member, clearly incredulous at the behavior. The response is telling: a rigid insistence on “there’s an order,” even though it seems he missed his chance to board before them. Was he afraid the toddler was going to poop in his seat?
CONCLUSION
Priority boarding is a practical benefit, not a moral hierarchy, but some losers see it as a sign of self-worth. This man is to be pitied, not only for his behavior, but because for his pettiness. I shake my head at behavior like this…wow, just wow do some people live in a different universe of entitlement.
> Read More:
> Read More: The Totally Clueless United “Global Services” Passenger…
‘DYKWIA’ vibes.
Isn’t that the new normal in the US these days? After all, if Criminal Trump can plan to invade other countries why can’t an entitled first class passenger demand to board when he wants to?
The rot has started at the top and is carrying on down!
🙂
Uh huh. No way this kind of stuff happened two years ago, lol.
I know Orange Godzilla lives rent free in many people’s heads, and everything that happens around them is seen through a lens of Trump, but you really don’t need to make everything about Trump.
Let’s try to think about this objectively and wisely… What exactly can be gained (more precious time on the plane?) in similar situations at airport queues?
Very well said. Perhaps the gent was worried about overhead bin space but he still boarded before the unwashed masses.
The sense of self importance/entitlement/arrogance is out of control across the board these days. Politeness and respect for fellow man is lacking. If this is the way he acts in public, I can only imagine what he must be like as a Colleague. Ermmm, it’s not as if the aircraft would be ready for push back the moment he took his seat, so chill out already. Give the family with young children a minute or two of accommodation to get settled.
The gentleman is a global service member and has the right to board before families. That is the fact. He gives a lot of money and loyalty to United and in return he expects what he is entitled to. Nothing wrong with that. If you get to the gate in somebody else, is there ahead of you who shouldn’t be, you have the right to ask to board ahead of them. That is United’s policy. The gate agent should have simply waved him through and asked the family to wait a moment. In this age of rudeness, disrespect and discourtesy, this family should have been taught a lesson. They are not entitled to board the plane before this gentleman. End of story.
The only sense of self-importance is from the family. They are not following United’s policies that they agreed upon and trying to cut ahead of this man who is global service. All the gate agent had to do to defuse. The situation was to ask the family to wait one moment while he let the gentleman go ahead, as per United’s protocol. This gentleman spends a lot of money and gives a lot of loyalty to the airline and all he is asking is what he is entitled to. Good for this gentleman for speaking up!
This it not a gentle-man, it is a cad.
And had he been on-time to the gate, he could have boarded ahead of the family when UGS were invited to pre-board.
Pre-Boarding is a JOKE no less than 40-50 people run up to Pre-Board.. Even those with kids over 10… and also those with Dogs or cats!!!
Active military should not go first. They are not disabled. Their priority should be ended unless there is a huge active shooting war, like the Gulf War in 1991 or Vietnam War in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
If you have it, it just reinforces the selfishness and cheapness that some military personnel have.
Active duty personnel often travel with their duffle bags and the few extra minutes to stow their gear cannot represent such a huge hardship on other passengers. I guess next you’ll want to just shove the elderly or handicapped aside and trample the kids because that plane just can’t wait to see you aboard.
Strongly disagree. They are often not traveling for fun and frequently have to carry more gear than the average passenger. You sound like you’d side the with the guy in the video.
Amen. You never understand why military is even in a pre-boarding list. It’s just rude and obnoxious. Yet another reason to despise the militarized industrial complex, agencies that receive trillions while others are starving and have no homes, or healthcare. It’s really disgusting.
Thank you Kenny/Paula/Paul/Chris!
Allow priority pre-boarding for those who only have personal items to carry on.
Typical Liberal.
Huh? I would not be willing to bet on his political beliefs. I have seen self-centered behavior from both dides.
LOL….you sound like Stephen Miller. Only a member of the fascist party would make such an ignorant statement. You people just love the attention your ignorance and stupidity attract.
Like your fat and lazy ruler, you end up looking just like a moron.
I admire Stephen Miller, he understands reality which is more than can be said for you marxists.
I am neither a Marxist nor any other type of “ist”. Stephen Miller is pure evil and represents the worst form of human: one floating free of any ethical or moral anchor and absolutely no decency.
Good job. Instead of simply castigating someone for a broad generalization, you actually did exactly what they would have predicted, and used the weak minded weapon that those without critical thinking skills use – trotting out the Nazi/Facist line for anyone you disagree with.
You may be right: The Arab family might be liberal – the douchebag GS member was not. He just thought he was better than brown people like so many conservatives in the racist MAGA age.
If you’re not then you’re not paying attention at this point.
I just assumed that was you since he was so dumb and ugly
Status derangement syndrome is real. I’m content with allowing GS and 1K people standing awkwardly around the gate to board before me and beep into the emergency exit row. I don’t mind waiting in group 1 to board my first class seat after them.
He was triggered because an immigrant, possibly Muslim family was boarding before him.
Muslims and airplanes have a bad history.
American gets it right, disabled or qualified pre boarders, then CK, FC then families with children 2 or under. Then Group 1 which is EP, granted it’s often 30 or more people first but you aren’t going to lose overhead space so what’s the problem?
The real story is AA doesn’t really care if you are EP, PP or Platinum, especially if it comes from card spending. It’s a perk but certainly not a priority.
I had an elderly (but spry) woman physically body check me out of the way so she could board ahead of me on a PHL-MIA flight.
It was wild. We were in first and lined up at the appropriate time. She was not waiting, at all, and once we cleared the gate, shoved my husband and pushed me into the side of the jet bridge.
It was only comical because she was about the size of my own mother (tiny) and I didn’t suffer any injury. I was ready to confront her but she was in the back of the plane and I was not going to seek her out,
It looks like he was leaving from the F concourse at ORD, which is often where United Express flights leave from. At least in my experience based in IAH, gate agents often just mush groups together on Express flights, even the bigger Embraer planes. Usually it’s all people entitled to pre-board at once, then Groups 1-2 at once, and then I don’t know because I’m on board by then.
Even if it was a mainline flight, this guy seems like a jerk. He was still going to get on board well ahead of everyone else and should just chill.
Love the way the agent never looks up, doesn’t give the guy a chance to involve him. Well done.
And where did he expect to stow that carry on? Hope it was an aircraft with the new bins at least!
And by logic the disabled should deplane last as was done for decades
The person taking the video is the real problem. Where do people get the audacity to think they can ask this guy anything? Or tell him to “chill out”? Or tell him that another family has children? Or tell him that he’ll get to his seat? These are the real slimeballs who are trying to enforce their own sense of appropriate behavior on others. She should stfu.
Sorry, but this tool deserved to be shamed for his petty behavior.
I agree Brandon. If someone ever tries to film me in pubic, I would look away to give him/her as little content “candy” as poss.
I often witness them call the boarding sequence wrong. Families often get called before GS, sometimes GS is called first, sometimes, 1K before military, I even had one turn where they forgot 1K and skipped to group 1. Sometimes they just call ask preboard at once, especially for Smaller or empty planes or if they are in a hurry because it’s a delay
United gate agents are suppose to board in this order:
1. Passengers with disabilities or those who need a little extra time.
2. Active duty military personnel
3. Global Services passengers I’ve seen
4. Families with children two and under
5. 1K
Then general boarding groups 1-6.
United Airlines gate agent
The passenger is correct. Global boards first. If somebody is ahead of them when they arrive at the gate, They have the right to step to the front of the line and go ahead of anybody else who is there. All the gate agent had to do was say excuse me to the family, let the global go on board, and that would have been the end of it. That is in fact United’s policy. I know. I work there. Doesn’t matter what you think of this gentleman, doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday, doesn’t matter if you like the rules or not. The fact of the matter is this gentleman is correct and the gate agent was wrong. Being global has perks, but if you can’t use them, it’s meaningless. These people pay a lot of money, a lot more than this family.