United Airlines on Tuesday updated its mobile app with several new features it hopes will make holiday travel easier for travelers.
Passengers who are tired of crowding at the gate and queuing early will surely appreciate the new “virtual gate” feature. This feature will show real-time updates on which groups are boarding and display a progress bar indicating how many people have boarded the plane so far.
For lounge attendees, a new “best and closest” feature will recommend nearby United Clubs based on where the passenger gate is and (perhaps most importantly) how busy each location is. United said the feature is now available at its O’Hare International Airport (ORD) hub and will roll out to other airports throughout 2026. The airline has five United Club lounges at ORD, in addition to a more exclusive Polaris Lounge.
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United has also improved its bag tracking feature, which now has what the airline describes as a “package delivery style” tracker that shows the location of your bags in real time throughout the trip at each touchpoint.
Another new feature offers personalized information for travelers, such as details about wheelchair service or stroller checks, reminders about required and missing travel documentation such as passports or visas, and information about biometric boarding options (where available).
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Finally, the app now offers improved arrival information, such as local weather conditions and detailed instructions on how to connect to ride-sharing services at that specific airport.
“The more information our customers have, the more confident they will feel about their trip, and that’s particularly important during the holidays,” David Kinzelman, United’s chief customer officer, said in a statement. “The United app provides travelers with personalized, real-time updates throughout their trip, helping our customers feel like they have a personal assistant guiding them every step of the way.”
United said the new features are rolling out to users now. If you don’t see them, try updating your United app in your phone’s app store.
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