United Airlines Launches App Upgrades to Ease Connecting Flight Stress

As summer travel surges, United Airlines has unveiled a suite of new features on its mobile app designed to simplify the connecting flight experience for millions of passengers.

The upgraded app now offers personalized, real-time information for travelers with connecting flights at United’s U.S. hub airports. Features include turn-by-turn directions with estimated walk times, boarding countdowns, real-time flight updates, and helpful layover tips. Notably, the app alerts travelers if ConnectionSaver, the airline’s AI-powered system that holds departing flights for tight connections, is activated for their itinerary.

These tools build on the success of ConnectionSaver, which has saved over 3.3 million connections since its 2019 debut. During a spring beta test, over 350,000 travelers used the new app functions, resulting in a 98% success rate for making connections.

“With these new features, our customers will have even more real-time details about their journey and a better overall experience,” said David Kinzelman, United’s Chief Customer Officer. “Giving people more transparent and personalized information helps take the stress out of connecting flights.”

The enhancements are tailored to the type of connection:

• Comfortable Connections offer travelers status updates, walking directions, and tips for navigating large airports.

• Tight Connections include critical info like gate numbers and walk times, plus alerts if their next flight is being held.

• Missed Connections automatically trigger rebooking options within the app, including standby for earlier flights.

United plans to expand functionality in the coming months, with additional languages, location-based navigation support, and real-time text message updates for travelers with connections. These upgrades reflect United’s broader investment in digital tools and AI to improve customer experience.

Other innovations from United include automated rebooking assistance, real-time weather delay radar alerts, Starlink Wi-Fi rollout for free inflight connectivity, and enhanced bag tracking, including support for Apple AirTags.

With more than 20 million connecting itineraries booked this summer alone, United is betting big on tech to keep travelers informed, confident, and connected.