Air passengers will have more flexibility than ever before over one of the year’s busiest travel weekends, thanks to new digital tools from United Airlines.
The Chicago-based carrier is rolling out an industry-first mobile app feature that will allow travelers who are rebooked after a disruption to join the standby list for up to three earlier flights.
Travelers will then receive a text message from United if a seat on one of their chosen flights opens up for them.
After receiving the text message, travelers can choose whether they still want to switch to the earlier flight. They won’t lose their confirmed reservation while they decide.
The innovative service eliminates the need for travelers to continue to refresh flight options within the United app, hoping to see new availability on earlier departures.
The new feature is set to launch in time for Labor Day Weekend travel, which this year spans September 3 to 8. During that timeframe, United expects to fly 3.4 million people.
"This feature reflects our commitment to making travel more seamless and less stressful for our customers," said Jennifer Schwierzke, United’s vice president of customer operations, strategy & execution.
The standby capability is the latest in a suite of self-service and automated options in United’s app that are designed to get travelers back on track faster in the event of an itinerary disruption.
Since 2023, United passengers have been able to choose a new flight option in the app after a schedule disruption, and they also can receive any applicable hotel and meal vouchers automatically through the app as well.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
