United Airlines making skies friendlier for families

NEW YORK — United Airlines is trying to bring back a bit of the friendly skies, allowing families with young children to board early.

The move, which takes effect Feb. 15, lets families with children ages two and under get settled in their seats before the rush of other passengers clamouring for overhead bin space.

United was the last holdout. It has forced families to board with everybody else since it revamped its boarding process in April 2012.

Policies vary from airline to airline. Some let families skip in front of everybody while, others let the first class and elite passengers onto the plane first, then give families a head start on the rest of the passengers.

It’s a delicate balance. The airlines want to board passengers as fast as possible and take most of the pain out of the process. However, they also want to reward elite members by letting them settle in early. Additionally, airlines are making money selling early boarding directly to passengers or via credit card partnerships. Those who get on the plane first get a spot in the overhead bin for their bag; those who board last are typically forced to check their bags at the gate.

United customer service rep Sandra Pineau-Boddison said the move comes as part of a larger effort by the Chicago-based airline to be more attentive to passengers’ needs.

“It takes a little bit of the stress out of the travel situation,” she said. “Some things are just the right thing to do.”

It also helps the airline get a plane out on time. Having all the strollers gatechecked at once frees baggage handlers who later have to deal with storing carry-on bags under the plane because there is no overhead bin space left.