United Airlines has rolled out another update to its mobile app, adding features designed to improve boarding efficiency and provide passengers more transparency.
United Improves Mobile App With More Real-Time Info On Boarding, Clubs, And Baggage
United says the new features are designed to help customers navigate airports more efficiently, manage disruptions more easily, and feel better informed from check-in through arrival.
Among the most notable additions:
- Virtual Gate: Shows which boarding groups are currently boarding and includes a progress bar indicating how many passengers have boarded, reducing gate crowding and guesswork
- Closest And Best United Club: Recommends the most convenient United Club based on your gate and real-time lounge capacity, helping travelers avoid overcrowded lounges (will initially be offered at Chicago O’Hare only, but at more airports in 2026)
- Improved Bag Tracking: Provides step-by-step updates on checked baggage location, similar to package delivery tracking
- Personalized Travel Guidance: Offers reminders for travel documents, biometric boarding instructions where available, and tailored guidance for passengers traveling with strollers or wheelchairs
- Arrival Tools: Displays local weather, estimated arrival times, and instructions for rideshare pickup after landing (Untied partners with Lyft)
These updates build on existing app features such as turn-by-turn airport navigation, estimated walking times between gates, Apple AirTag integration for baggage tracking, and automated rebooking during disruptions.
Per David Kinzelman, United’s Chief Customer Officer:
“The more information our customers have, the more confident they feel about their trip, and that’s particularly important during the holidays. The United app gives travelers personalized, real-time updates during their entire travel journey, helping our customers feel like they have a personal assistant guiding them every step of the way.”
I’ll try out these new app features next week and report back…
I love that the United app essentially eliminates the need to ever call United Reservations. Almost all routine tasks can be handled on the app and while I am thankful to have pre-boarding as a Premier 1K, it will be nice to know exactly when to board next year when I drop down to a Gold.
I’ve been checking baggage on recent trips and the baggage tracking features was already excellent: it appears the latest update will give even more relevant and real-time info on the location of my checked luggage.
CONCLUSION
United’s mobile app strategy continues to industry-leading by integrating practical improvements that address real pain points, like the annoyance of boarding. As we enter another peak holiday travel period, these app upgrades should help improve the travel experience, even when operations go sideways…
image: United Airlines
Does the baggage tracking app also show the location of your luggage in transit after it is given to the luggage delivery service after a delayed baggage issue?
Once the airline gives the luggage to the delivery service, they deny knowing anything about when it will actually get to you.
Doubtful, which is why AirTags are so helpful.
UA’s industry-leading app is indicative of its superior IT among airlines. Can’t wait for the last few mainframe programs to be retired and Starlink to be fully installed. IT leadership is not only a competitive advantage in terms of customer service, but also represents huge cost savings.
Cool. How many years away are we from a robot gate agent with e-gates – when your boarding pass turns green (i.e. your boarding group is “called”) you can use the e-gates. More than 5, less than 20?
Alternative take: the app is starting to feel sluggish and bloated.
There is so much extraneous information and buttons you can click, and too much real estate is devoted to non-value-add things (example: trip details on my phone is 1/4 a skyline image, 1/4 an ad for United credit cards, and the bottom 1/2 for actual info). There is so much stuff on the home screen, this is why it probably takes several seconds to open and become responsive.
United has done a great job bringing helpful delay information and enabling self-service rebooking tools. Once things mature it’s just as important to refine and hold back bloat. I think there is a large team on the app that is now trying to keep busy. Sometimes now I wish UA had a plain, fast mobile website from the 2000s again like what Continental had.
United has a decent app. I like the various ‘countdown’ features. Air France/KLM does similar things with theirs.
Love the United app, while delta gives error messages daily! Love using the AF & KLM app is way better but can’t cancel a reward ticket yet on those have to call in crazy.
That is indeed the supreme annoyance with Flying Blue! Why, why, why can’t you cancel an award ticket online or on the app?!
I just completed week long travel when the app must have been pushed out – it’s a very nice upgrade I think the customers will enjoy; I’ve enjoyed the number of passengers boarded vs checked in, and the baggage tracking feature. It seems as you get closer, and are actually in the boarding window for your flight, that the app will default to this screen. Enjoy.
Just to note that the DL app has been giving specific positions including when a bag is on the airplane – for years now.
UA gets credit for a lot of things that are all about information that other airlines do not provide, but more information is not necessarily better. DL also has had SkyClub crowding information for years.
For example, UA allows standby lists to be seen on their open website (no log on required) which very, very few other airlines do – esp. after the flight departs.
This is a post about United. Who cares about Delta?
Nobody sane thinks Delta has a better app than united
when people make the claim that something is industry leading, it clearly is not if someone else has been doing the same thing for several years.
Don’t have a lot of apps. And don’t need them either. Not all of us want to download an app for every single thing in the world (even those with smartphones)
Ok, Gramps