10 tips to make your travel easy
You've booked your plane ticket and are looking forward to starting your vacation. You may already be wise to the benefits of booking your flight well in advance — so here are ten tips to make sure your travel plans are seamless.
1. Get equipped for a smooth journey with the handy United app
Download the United mobile app prior to your flight to check flight status, check in, sign up for flight notifications, locate departure gates, access our free personal device entertainment when available and more. If you're registered for TSA Pre✓®, this will be indicated on your mobile boarding pass in the app. You can even use our airport maps to find a beverage or snack prior to boarding. TSA advises arriving at the airport early.
2. Make sure your bags are fit to fly
Pack smart. Before packing your bags, check to see what exactly you can carry on and what you should plan to check. Also, familiarize yourself with regulation-size bags to avoid having to pay extra for oversized items.
If you are planning to travel with food, be aware that food items may require further TSA inspection. If you're not sure if a food item is considered a liquid or a gel, it is best to pack the item in your checked bag or ship it to your destination in advance.
Also, be advised that hoverboards, smart wheels and other self-balancing recreational devices powered by lithium batteries are not accepted as checked or carry-on baggage. Spare lithium batteries must be removed from any checked or gate-checked baggage. You must also remove lithium batteries that are part of bags themselves (sometimes referred to as "smart bags") from both checked and carry-on baggage. Once removed, you can bring these batteries on board. Bags with non-removable lithium batteries are not allowed on any United flights, including United Express® flights.
And to skip the wait at the baggage carousel, try BagsVIP, our door-to-door baggage delivery service.
3. Read our information about special travel requests
Have a special request? Learn about the accommodations we provide for children, pets, travelers with disabilities, travelers with food allergies and more.
Do you need a wheelchair at the airport? We have wheelchairs available for customers with disabilities to use at each of our airports. It's best to request a wheelchair in advance before the day you're traveling. You can arrange wheelchair service through your travel agent or by calling the United Accessibility Desk at 1-800-228-2744 within the U.S. or Canada. Once you arrive at the airport, notify a United representative or skycap that you need a wheelchair to get you to your departure gate, and they will assist you.
4. Check in starting 24 hours before departure
Save time with mobile check-in. You can check in and receive your boarding pass directly on your mobile device by using the United app or by accessing our mobile website at m.united.com. With your boarding pass right on your device, you simply scan the barcode at airport security checkpoints and at the gate during boarding.
You can also check in online and print out your boarding pass or request to have your boarding pass sent to your mobile device.
5. Ensure that you have all your personal items including necessary documentation
Make a checklist. Before heading out the door, double-check that you have all of your personal items, including travel documents, ID, house keys, medicine and other valuables you may need on your trip. For international travel, please make sure that you have all of the necessary documentation prior to arriving at the airport. For more information on international travel document requirements please visit our international travel page.
And starting October 1, 2021, you must have a REAL ID compliant card or an acceptable alternative such as a U.S. passport to travel domestically within the U.S.
6. Check flight status, important notices and weather
Hit refresh. Check the United app regularly for the latest updates, weather conditions, flight status, gate and seat assignments. You can also visit our Important notices page to find important information and updates about travel waivers, international travel, TSA and security, airports and United Club locations.
7. Give yourself extra time at the airport
Arrive early; avoid the stress. Airports can be busy, and you'll want to give yourself extra time before your flight. The TSA advises arriving at the airport two hours before your flight for domestic travel and three hours for international travel, in anticipation of long security lines. This can help ease the stress when navigating busy check-in areas, security lines and crowded boarding gates.
To help everyone get through security lines as quickly as possible, please cooperate with TSA guidelines and have your boarding pass and identification ready before you get to the front of the line. For future trips, consider enrolling in a Trusted Traveler program for expedited security screening and customer processing.
8. Before you board
Get ready for "Better Boarding". Once you are through security, check the mobile app or the flight information displays for the latest gate assignments and boarding times. Arrive early to charge up your devices at available United charging stations, and make sure your personal items (such as your backpack or purse) contain your items such as ID, medicine, keys, e-cigarettes and other valuables. With our "Better Boarding" process, you'll receive push notifications to the United app when your flight starts boarding, and customers will board through two color-coded lanes to ensure you spend less time standing in line. We encourage you to make yourself comfortable while you wait for your group to be called, and we'll let you know when we're ready for you to board.
9. Explore your inflight Wi-Fi and entertainment options
Prepare to be entertained. We have a variety of entertainment options to choose from including our free personal device entertainment. You can check your flight status 48 hours before departure to peruse your Wi-Fi and entertainment options. Remember to do the following before you fly to access our streaming entertainment: 1) Download the United mobile app or ensure that you have the most recent version downloaded on your device 2) Fully charge your device prior to boarding 3) Pack your headphones to enjoy hours of entertainment.
10. Start your vacation onboard
Relax and enjoy your flight. Our teams will be working to provide you with a great journey to your destination.
1. Get equipped for a smooth journey with the handy United app
Download the United mobile app prior to your flight to check flight status, check in, sign up for flight notifications, locate departure gates, access our free personal device entertainment when available and more. If you're registered for TSA Pre✓®, this will be indicated on your mobile boarding pass in the app. You can even use our airport maps to find a beverage or snack prior to boarding. TSA advises arriving at the airport early.
2. Make sure your bags are fit to fly
Pack smart. Before packing your bags, check to see what exactly you can carry on and what you should plan to check. Also, familiarize yourself with regulation-size bags to avoid having to pay extra for oversized items.
If you are planning to travel with food, be aware that food items may require further TSA inspection. If you're not sure if a food item is considered a liquid or a gel, it is best to pack the item in your checked bag or ship it to your destination in advance.
Also, be advised that hoverboards, smart wheels and other self-balancing recreational devices powered by lithium batteries are not accepted as checked or carry-on baggage. Spare lithium batteries must be removed from any checked or gate-checked baggage. You must also remove lithium batteries that are part of bags themselves (sometimes referred to as "smart bags") from both checked and carry-on baggage. Once removed, you can bring these batteries on board. Bags with non-removable lithium batteries are not allowed on any United flights, including United Express® flights.
And to skip the wait at the baggage carousel, try BagsVIP, our door-to-door baggage delivery service.
3. Read our information about special travel requests
Have a special request? Learn about the accommodations we provide for children, pets, travelers with disabilities, travelers with food allergies and more.
Do you need a wheelchair at the airport? We have wheelchairs available for customers with disabilities to use at each of our airports. It's best to request a wheelchair in advance before the day you're traveling. You can arrange wheelchair service through your travel agent or by calling the United Accessibility Desk at 1-800-228-2744 within the U.S. or Canada. Once you arrive at the airport, notify a United representative or skycap that you need a wheelchair to get you to your departure gate, and they will assist you.
4. Check in starting 24 hours before departure
Save time with mobile check-in. You can check in and receive your boarding pass directly on your mobile device by using the United app or by accessing our mobile website at m.united.com. With your boarding pass right on your device, you simply scan the barcode at airport security checkpoints and at the gate during boarding.
You can also check in online and print out your boarding pass or request to have your boarding pass sent to your mobile device.
5. Ensure that you have all your personal items including necessary documentation
Make a checklist. Before heading out the door, double-check that you have all of your personal items, including travel documents, ID, house keys, medicine and other valuables you may need on your trip. For international travel, please make sure that you have all of the necessary documentation prior to arriving at the airport. For more information on international travel document requirements please visit our international travel page.
And starting October 1, 2021, you must have a REAL ID compliant card or an acceptable alternative such as a U.S. passport to travel domestically within the U.S.
6. Check flight status, important notices and weather
Hit refresh. Check the United app regularly for the latest updates, weather conditions, flight status, gate and seat assignments. You can also visit our Important notices page to find important information and updates about travel waivers, international travel, TSA and security, airports and United Club locations.
7. Give yourself extra time at the airport
Arrive early; avoid the stress. Airports can be busy, and you'll want to give yourself extra time before your flight. The TSA advises arriving at the airport two hours before your flight for domestic travel and three hours for international travel, in anticipation of long security lines. This can help ease the stress when navigating busy check-in areas, security lines and crowded boarding gates.
To help everyone get through security lines as quickly as possible, please cooperate with TSA guidelines and have your boarding pass and identification ready before you get to the front of the line. For future trips, consider enrolling in a Trusted Traveler program for expedited security screening and customer processing.
8. Before you board
Get ready for "Better Boarding". Once you are through security, check the mobile app or the flight information displays for the latest gate assignments and boarding times. Arrive early to charge up your devices at available United charging stations, and make sure your personal items (such as your backpack or purse) contain your items such as ID, medicine, keys, e-cigarettes and other valuables. With our "Better Boarding" process, you'll receive push notifications to the United app when your flight starts boarding, and customers will board through two color-coded lanes to ensure you spend less time standing in line. We encourage you to make yourself comfortable while you wait for your group to be called, and we'll let you know when we're ready for you to board.
9. Explore your inflight Wi-Fi and entertainment options
Prepare to be entertained. We have a variety of entertainment options to choose from including our free personal device entertainment. You can check your flight status 48 hours before departure to peruse your Wi-Fi and entertainment options. Remember to do the following before you fly to access our streaming entertainment: 1) Download the United mobile app or ensure that you have the most recent version downloaded on your device 2) Fully charge your device prior to boarding 3) Pack your headphones to enjoy hours of entertainment.
10. Start your vacation onboard
Relax and enjoy your flight. Our teams will be working to provide you with a great journey to your destination.
On March 19, 2020, United operated its first flight carrying cargo without passengers on board. While the passenger cabin was empty, its cargo hold was completely full, carrying more than 29,000 pounds of commodities from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA).
A year later, United Cargo has operated more than 11,000 cargo-only flights carrying more than 570 million pounds of freight. To support the COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts, United Cargo has also transported more than 113 million pounds of medical and pharmaceutical products on both cargo-only and passenger flights as well as approximately 10 million COVID-19 vaccines, providing global communities access to the items they have needed most.
"At the beginning of the pandemic, we knew we were uniquely positioned to utilize our widebody aircraft and our network to keep commodities moving, so we quickly mobilized various departments throughout the airline to launch a cargo-only network of flights that would keep commodities moving," said United Cargo President Jan Krems. "Thanks to those efforts, United Cargo has delivered millions of items to countries all around the world. We would not have been successful without the steadfast support of our employees, industry partners and our customers."
Since last March, United Cargo has transported almost 850 million pounds of freight on cargo-only and passenger flights. The airline will continue to monitor market trends adjust its cargo-only flight schedules to help ensure we are meeting our customer's evolving shipping needs.
Whether you haven't flown with us for a while or just need a quick refresher before your spring trip, read this list of tips to know before your flight and arrive at the airport travel-ready:
1. Download the United app for contactless bag check, travel assistance and more
Before your flight, download the United app to view your flight status, check in, sign up for flight notifications, locate departure gates, access our free personal device entertainment when available and more. We've also updated our app with new features that can make your trip a little safer, including contactless bag check.
Don't forget to use Agent on Demand for help with any and all questions you may have before your flight. This new capability is available at all our U.S. hub airports and allows you to use your own mobile device to contact a customer service agent via phone, video or chat to help with day-of-travel questions while you're at the airport. Learn more about Agent on Demand here.
2. Check out the Travel-Ready Center
Our Travel-Ready Center makes it easy to get a personalized overview of everything you need to do in preparation for your flight. Just enter your confirmation number or MileagePlus® number and you'll find detailed information on all the documents, tests and more that you'll need for your trip.
3. Read and sign the Ready-to-Fly checklist
Before completing check-in, all United travelers will need to read our Ready-to-Fly checklist and confirm that they understand and agree to our policies. These include:
Acknowledging that you haven't had any symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days
Agreeing that you will not fly if you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 21 days
Confirming that you will follow all policies regarding face masks, social distancing and other health and safety measures we've adopted
4. Arrive early; avoid the stress
Airports can be busy, especially during peak travel periods like spring break season. The TSA advises arriving at the airport two hours before your flight for domestic travel and three hours for international travel in anticipation of long security lines. This can help ease the stress when navigating busy check-in areas, security lines and crowded boarding gates.
5. Get familiar with CleanPlus
United CleanPlus℠ is our commitment to delivering industry-leading cleanliness as we put health and safety at the forefront of your experience. We've teamed up with Clorox to redefine our cleaning and disinfection procedures and Cleveland Clinic to advise us on enhancing our cleaning and disinfection protocols, like:
Disinfecting high-touch areas on board and in the terminal
Using electrostatic spraying, Ultraviolet C lighting wands and more advanced measures to clean aircraft cabins before boarding
Redesigning our mobile app to allow for touchless check-in and contactless payment, along with enhanced travel assistance features
Implementing high-efficiency (HEPA) filters on our aircraft that completely recirculate cabin air every 2-3 minutes and remove 99.97% of airborne particles, including viruses and bacteria
Studies show COVID-19 exposure risk is minimal when air filtration systems and masks are in use, so you can rest assured that the steps we've taken to keep you safe truly make a difference.
6. Wear your mask
Federal law requires all travelers to wear a face mask in the airport, including customer service counters, airport lounges, gates and baggage claim, and on board during their entire flight. Make sure you review the requirements for face masks, including what an acceptable face mask looks like.
7. Get ready for a safer boarding process
To make boarding even safer, we now have travelers board their aircraft from back to front. At the gate, just listen for your row number to be called – we'll ask a few rows at a time to board, starting with the last row of the plane. This helps everyone maintain a safe distance from each other during boarding without slowing things down. As you step onto the plane, flight attendants will hand each passenger a sanitizing towelette, which you can use to wipe down your seat to ensure it's extra clean.
8. Pack smart
Before packing your bags, check to see what exactly you can carry on and what you should plan to check. You can also copy your confirmation number into our Baggage Calculator tool to learn about the bag allowance included with your reservation, as well as the cost of checking any additional bags.
9. Check your flight status, important notices and weather
Check the United app regularly for the latest updates on weather conditions, flight status, gate numbers and seat assignments. You can also visit our Important Notices page to find essential information and updates about travel waivers, international travel, TSA and security, airports and United Club locations.
10. Relax and enjoy your flight
Once you're on board, it's time to sit back and enjoy your flight. Our flight attendants will be happy to help you with anything else you need.
This week, we were honored to become the first U.S. airline to join the UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative to combat the COVID-19 pandemic by transporting the vaccine and other critically needed supplies to underserved areas of the globe.
"We are committed to helping the global community in any way we can, and we all must work together to do our part to bring this health and humanitarian crisis to an end," said Director of Cargo Specialty Products Manu Jacobs.
We will leverage our expertise to transport these critical pharmaceutical and healthcare shipments around the world safely, efficiently and expediently. We are proud to partner with the United Nations to support this global effort and provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Together, we are facing an unprecedented challenge. United Together, we rise to meet that challenge.
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Calling all AvGeeks and travelers! Take your next video call from a United Polaris® seat, the cockpit or cruising altitude with United-themed backgrounds for use on Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Newly added to our collection is a background encouraging our employees and customers to vote. Our mission is to connect people and unite the world — and one of the most important ways to do that is to engage in the democratic process. No matter which party you support, we know our democracy will be stronger if you make your voice heard and vote.
So for your next meeting or catch up with friends and family, download the app to either your computer or mobile device to get started.
To use on Zoom:
- Start here by downloading your favorite United image to your computer or mobile device. Just click "download" in the bottom left corner of the image.
- Next go to your Zoom app (you'll need to download the app to access backgrounds) and click on the arrow to the right of your video camera icon in the bottom of the screen.
- From here select, "choose virtual background" to upload your uniquely United photo.
To use on Microsoft Teams:
- Start by downloading your favorite United image to your computer. Just click "download" in the bottom left corner of the image.
- If you're using a PC, copy the image you want to use into this folder:
- C:\[insert your device user name here]\AppData\Microsoft\Teams\Backgrounds\Uploads
- If you're using a Mac copy the images to this folder on your computer:
- /users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams/Backgrounds/Uploads
- If you're using a PC, copy the image you want to use into this folder:
- Once you start a Teams meeting, click the "…" in the menu bar and select "Show background effects" and your image should be there
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This is why we fly.
20 UCSF Health workers, who voluntarily set aside their own lives to help save lives, are on their way to New York City.
We are humbled by your selfless sacrifice.
Thank you.
#UnitedTogether #UCSFHeroes
In celebration and appreciation of all first responders and essential workers. 👏🏻👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾👏🏿
This is the story of Jason and Shantel. You see, Jason and Shantel love each other very much. They also love traveling and they love the classic Adam Sandler film, The Wedding Singer.
It all began when Jason reached out to United's social media team, hoping for assistance with his upcoming plan to propose. Some phone calls and one borrowed guitar later, the stage was set for Jason. Put all that together, mix in some helpful United employees and, voila, you have a truly memorable marriage proposal. Congratulations to this fun-loving and happy couple, and here's to many more years of making beautiful music together.
A big thank you to Chicago-based flight attendants Donna W., Marie M., Karen J. and Mark K. for making this proposal come to life.
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