United Enhances Mobile App with Virtual Gate, Lounge Finder and Live Bag Tracking - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

United Airlines has introduced a new set of features to its award-winning mobile app, designed to save customers time and make travel more predictable and stress-free. The upgrades focus on real-time information, personalised assistance and improved self-service, reinforcing the airline’s push to digitalise the customer experience at scale.

Real-time boarding with the Virtual Gate

A key addition is the new “Virtual Gate” feature, which provides live updates on the boarding process directly in the app. Travellers can see which boarding groups are currently being called and follow progress via a visual indicator showing how many passengers have already boarded. This allows customers to time their arrival at the gate more precisely, reducing unnecessary waiting.

Smarter United Club recommendations

United has also introduced a “closest and best” recommendation tool for United Club lounges. Based on a traveller’s gate location and real-time lounge capacity, the app suggests the most suitable nearby United Club. Capacity insights are currently available at Chicago O’Hare and are scheduled to expand to additional airports in 2026.

Package-style baggage tracking

The airline has upgraded its baggage tracking functionality with a delivery-style interface that shows the real-time location of checked bags throughout the journey. This added visibility is intended to increase confidence and transparency, particularly during complex or high-volume travel periods.

Personalised travel guidance from departure to arrival

Beyond boarding and baggage, the app now delivers more tailored updates throughout the trip. These include guidance for passengers travelling with strollers or wheelchairs, reminders about required travel documents, biometric boarding options and arrival information such as live local weather conditions, estimated arrival times and instructions for connecting to rideshare services.

United has also enhanced the app with AI-supported navigation tools that anticipate which features are most relevant to each traveller at different stages of the journey, personalising content accordingly. The rollout comes as the airline prepares to welcome more than 10 million customers during the winter holiday travel season, the busiest on record for United.

Transparency and confidence through information

“The more information our customers have, the more confident they feel about their trip – and that’s particularly important during the holidays,” said David Kinzelman, United’s Chief Customer Officer. “The United app gives travellers personalised, real-time updates during their entire travel journey, helping our customers feel like they have a personal assistant guiding them every step of the way.”

More than 84 per cent of United customers use the app on the day they fly. During beta testing of the new features, customers highlighted clearer communication, time savings and improved access to real-time updates as key benefits.

Continued leadership in digital self-service

The latest enhancements build on a series of digital innovations United has introduced in recent years. These include personalised connection guidance with turn-by-turn directions and walking-time estimates, expanded baggage tracking through Apple AirTag integration, automatic rebooking tools during disruptions and real-time weather delay notifications supported by generative AI.

United’s new app features are currently rolling out and are expected to be widely available ahead of the peak holiday travel period.

Image Credit: © United Airlines