One of the most stressful experiences in an airport is trying to make a tight connecting flight. Most travelers at one point or another have had to run through the terminal, hoping to catch their plane before it pulls away from the gate.
Now United Airlines is easing the tension of the tightest connections. The carrier has launched enhancements to its mobile app that provide a suite of information for connecting passengers as soon as they step off their first flight.
The Chicago-based airline has debuted a new special section of its app, dedicated to giving customers information about their connecting flights. The section includes a host of information, including a countdown to a connection, customized turn-by-turn directions and estimated walk times to a connecting gate, real-time flight status updates, and notifications if the plane is being held for a passenger.
United launched a trial of all the new features this spring during which more than 350,000 customers used the new tech and 98% of them made their connection.
“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.”
Passengers with longer layovers will also receive useful information, including tips to navigate large airports and United Club location details. If a flier misses a connection, the app will automatically offer up personalized rebooking options, with choices to rebook on a confirmed flight or join the standby list for earlier flights.
The new app features are rolling out just in time for one of the busiest periods of the summer travel season. They build upon United’s existing ConnectionSaver technology, which first launched in 2019 and uses AI to determine whether a plane can be held for a connecting passenger who’s running behind without delaying other customers. That tool has saved more than 3.3 million customers’ connections.
The airline says that this summer alone, more than 20 million customers have booked connecting flights. Now those fliers will have a little more peace of mind when they step into the terminal.
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