All about your United Airlines flights: booking, online check-in, timetable, status and more

United Airlines is a huge airline with a lot of clout, but regular mobile users will know that a big name company doesn’t always have a high quality app or even a great website. This airline app risks falling into that category- but when it works, it’s a great app with a lot of useful functionality. Anything you could want related to your flight is somewhere inside, all for free.

Features and functions

The United Airlines app has been updated recently, providing several new features. Starting with the obvious, you can book your flights on this app, which you should find easier than using the website. This app lets you keep up with your flight status with constant updates, something which is increasingly common now but was unheard of just a few years ago. Get started by signing in to your MileagePlus account and the appropriate options will appear. You can then use your phone as a boarding pass, a very efficient way to go, especially for frequent flyers. Check in, choose alternate flight options and upgrade your seating all from your mobile device. You can even view maps of airports, vital when you’re in a new place and your flight is about to leave! On the opposite side, when you’re early and have time to kill, you can play Sudoku games.

But is it smooth flying?

The United Airlines app has had an overhaul in usability and access, largely improving things. The app has a clean, tile-based navigation menu and is easy on the eye, with good font sizes and clear labelling. The addition of a widget mode goes some way to providing more function and usability too. The other main navigation aid is the Travel Card system, which arranges features onto tabbed cards. Pick a card that suits you and you’ll find the options listed on it. When you log in with your MileagePlus account, the app generates cards that meet your needs, a great way to speed up navigation and make the app user-friendly. The app is meant to be compatible with tablets too, however, a lot of users have been struggling with crashes and incompatibilities, on tablet and mobile. Of course, all apps go through these development hiccups.

A powerful app with teething problems

Despite a few issues with compatibility, which are bound to be rectified in time, the United Airlines app is very flexible and powerful. Anything you could want is built into the app, making it simple and quick to book flights, check in and find your way around without needing lots of pieces of paper. Little touches like the Sudoku add value to the app and you will keep finding extra options like this if you search around. Overall, this app is easy to use and a standard, capable companion to the airline website.

United Airlines is proud to offer the all-new United app, with an iOS 7-friendly design that is optimized for the iPhone and compatible with the iPad (look for an iPad App in 2014!). Offering features from flight booking to flight status and more, the United app is your indispensable travel companion.

Highlights:

The United app puts valuable travel information in the palm of your hand with our new home screen travel cards, ready to access at a moment’s notice.

Cards include:

– Mobile boarding pass card: Scan your mobile boarding pass directly from the app home screen for quick access.

– Travel assistant: As your trip gets closer, the travel assistant updates with your departure information, your seat assignment and your destination’s current weather.

– Flight status card: Once you subscribe for a flight notification, the flight status will appear as a home screen card, with direct access to expanded flight information.

– My reservations card: Eligible reservations update on the home screen within the 24-hour check-in period, giving you the option to check in directly from the card. You can also manually add your upcoming trips.

– United Club? and one-time pass card: United Club members who sign in with their MileagePlus® account will see a digital membership card with a bar code for access to United Club locations. United Club one-time passes can also be accessed and purchased in the app.

– MileagePlus card: Display a digital version of your MileagePlus membership card.

With in-app access to the most frequently used travel tools, including check-in, booking, flight status and MileagePlus account information, the United app provides easy, on-the-go travel planning.

Check-in:

– Enjoy mobile boarding pass storage with complete Passbook integration.

– Check in for flights, including international flights for eligible travelers.

– Select alternate flight options if there are significant flight delays or cancellations.

– Choose United Travel Options to enhance your experience: Purchase premium cabin or Economy Plus® seating, or enjoy Premier Access®.

Flight booking:

– Book one-way, roundtrip and multi-segment travel.

– Book MileagePlus award travel.

– Purchase Economy Plus seating.

Flight status:

– Access upgrade and standby lists.

– View seating options on the redesigned seat map.

– Get departure and arrival information.

– Find out where your flight is coming from and its current location.

– See inflight amenities.

– Receive flight status push notifications: Monitor a selected flight and receive automatic updates sent to your device.

Reservation management:

– Add and view current United reservations.

– Automatically upgrade and receive upgrade information if you are an eligible Premier® member.

– Purchase Premier Access, Economy Plus seating and more.

– Add your flights directly to your calendar.

MileagePlus account:

– View your Mileage Plus account and subscription information.

– See recent activity and statements.

– View flights, including current, past and canceled flights.

– Enroll in MileagePlus.

Other helpful travel tools:

– View airport maps.

– See United Club locations and hours, and purchase one-time passes.

– Play Sudoku games.

– Share your reservations and check-ins with your social network and view our recent tweets.