The new functionality came online this week.
A United 737 MAX 8 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
A new feature on United’s mobile app shows passengers how long they have to make a connecting flight and the exact route to their gate.
Travelers navigating any one of United’s seven U.S. hub airports now have access to a special section of the app with a countdown clock for connecting flight departures, customized turn-by-turn directions with estimated walk times, and real-time flight status updates. The feature also lets travelers know if their connecting flight is being held for them after a close or late arrival.
United said it tested the app expansion this spring, when over 350,000 passengers used it on a trial basis.
For now, the feature is only available to passengers making connecting flights at Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark Liberty, San Francisco, and Washington Dulles.
“We know that giving people more information, in a transparent and easy-to-understand way, can help de-stress the connecting flight experience,” said David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer. “Our award-winning mobile app is a game-changer during travel, and with these new features, our customers will have even more real-time details about their flight and as a result, have an even better experience flying United.”
The airline said it will continue to improve the new feature, with plans to add languages beyond English and Spanish and optional text message updates.
United in recent years has invested heavily in technology aimed at reducing missed connections. In 2019, it launched ConnectionSaver, an artificial intelligence-powered tool that detects when travelers are late arriving at the airport from a prior flight and weighs the impact of delaying a connection. The new app feature receives information from ConnectionSaver when it recommends pushing back a departure.
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