United Airlines updated its mobile app on Tuesday with several new features it hopes will make holiday travel easier for passengers.
Passengers tired of crowded gates and early queues will welcome the new “virtual gate” feature. This feature will show real-time updates on which groups are boarding and will display a progress bar indicating how many people have boarded so far.
For lounge fliers, the new “Nearest and Best” feature will recommend nearby United Clubs based on the location of a passenger’s gate and—perhaps more importantly—how crowded each location is. United said the feature is now available at its O’Hare International Airport (ORD) hub and will be rolled out to other airports in 2026. The airline has five United Club lounges at ORD, as well as a more exclusive Polaris Lounge.
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United has also improved its baggage tracking feature, which now features what the airline describes as a “package delivery-style” tracker that shows your bag’s real-time location at every touchpoint throughout your journey.
Another new feature provides travelers with personalized information, such as details about wheelchair services or checking strollers, reminders about required and missing travel documents such as passports or visas, and information about biometric boarding options (if available).
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Finally, the app now offers enhanced arrival information, such as local weather conditions and detailed instructions on how to connect to rides at that specific airport.
“The more information our customers have, the more confident they can feel about traveling, which is especially 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 travel journey, helping our customers feel like they have a personal assistant guiding them every step of the way.”
United said the new feature is now rolling out to customers. If you don’t see them, try updating your United app in your phone’s app store.
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