United Airways simply rolled out new app options to assist flyers make connections at its hub airports.
On June 25, 2025, the airline introduced a brand new devoted part in its app that reveals particulars about your connection. Now accessible to all United app customers, that part contains real-time flight standing updates, gate-to-gate instructions with estimated strolling instances and a countdown to your subsequent flight. You’ll additionally discover suggestions for longer layovers, in addition to a notification if United is holding your subsequent flight for you throughout a decent connection.
“These options are a part of our bigger buyer expertise technique that is based mostly on being radically clear with our prospects and sharing data with them in easy-to-understand methods,” United Chief Buyer Officer David Kinzelman mentioned in a media name previewing the updates.
Should you’ve flown on United lately, these options might look acquainted. Greater than 350,000 vacationers used them within the spring throughout a beta take a look at earlier than the rollout for the busy summer season journey season. With 20 million-plus United passengers booked this summer season on connecting flights, in accordance with the airline, this function may gain advantage many flyers.
Why these app updates matter
These new updates — accessible in each English and Spanish — make touring with a connection less complicated. That’s an enormous deal, particularly when connections are sometimes the place itineraries are more than likely to go flawed.
(Picture courtesy of United Airways)
In addition they assist give passengers extra perception into what’s happening with their itinerary. For instance, United now classifies connections in 3 ways and shows totally different data for every kind:
Comfy connections: For passengers who’ve sufficient time to achieve their subsequent gate earlier than boarding begins, the app reveals connection data, an airport map with navigation suggestions and different location data like the place the closest United Membership is.
Tight connections: For many who have to hustle to their subsequent gate, the app prioritizes essentially the most pertinent data, such because the time till your subsequent flight, how distant it’s and an airport map to indicate you easy methods to get there. In case your subsequent flight is being held for passengers by way of United’s ConnectionSaver expertise, you’ll additionally see that on the display. (Launched in 2019, ConnectionSaver helps decide if a flight could be held for a couple of minutes to accommodate connecting passengers with out disrupting the journey plans of these onboard.)
Missed connections: For many who will miss their flights, the app reveals rebooking choices to get a confirmed seat on one other flight or to face by for an earlier flight that is likely to be offered out.
Whereas different airline apps have useful data like airport maps, they’re usually exhausting to search out within the app or difficult to make use of. It is likely to be doable to manually lookup data like estimated strolling instances by navigating to the airport maps part within the app, however passengers won’t even know such a function exists. Having it multi functional centrally situated place may also help make journey quite a bit much less hectic.
Plus, United says it would quickly roll out the power to allow location companies, which can let you see the place you might be on the map as you journey by the airport.
Improvements like these may also help simplify the airport expertise, and United isn’t the one airline investing in these enhancements. For instance, American Airways introduced in Could 2025 that it will be testing out its personal model of connection-saving expertise at its hub airports this summer season. It additionally redesigned its app earlier this yr, which the airline says will assist set the inspiration for future app upgrades.
What I’m trying ahead to as a United frequent flyer
One function in United’s up to date app I’m particularly trying ahead to: particulars in regards to the nearest United Membership. As a result of I maintain The New United Membership℠ Card, I’ve limitless entry to United Golf equipment after I fly on United or a Star Alliance associate.
I fly by United hubs on a regular basis, however some extra usually than others. Which means after I land at a hub I’m much less conversant in — say, Denver Worldwide Airport — I can depend on the app to direct me to the closest Denver United Membership, as a substitute of fumbling with my telephone for a couple of minutes to determine the place to go.
“One of many issues that prospects inform us they actually like is simply merely understanding after they get off the airplane, do they go left or proper?” Kinzelman says.
High photograph courtesy of United Airways.
