United Cuts Airport Wait Times
Are you tired of waiting in lines at the airport? You wouldn’t be alone; millions of people hate airport waiting times. And, sadly, airport waiting times have increased tenfold since the pandemic started because of travel restrictions and document checks.
However, United Airlines is the first airline to start an expedited baggage check-in of one minute or less on average. The launch will begin in six airports nationwide through the application of the airline.
The expedited check-in service is a completely free service; it will enhance the experience of all passengers using United Airlines.
Where Will The New Service Start?
The free service is already available at all United hubs in the United States, including New York, Washington DC, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver. However, the airline plans to expand the expedited baggage check-in into dozens more airports nationwide in 2022.
United’s Director of Customer Service, Toby Enqvist, said: “Our initial customer data shows that this free, easy-to-use process saves our customers time and energy as they prepare for their flight,”
“We’re thrilled to be the first to offer this service to all customers who sign up for our award-winning mobile app.”
United Airlines says initial data suggests the expedited check-in “saves our customers time and energy . . . by creating a dedicated area for those who only need to drop their bags.”
According to Afar Magazine, the expedited check-in service works well, but they still need to “work out some kinks.” They said: “I still needed a United rep to process the bags and they didn’t have enough [reps on hand], so we had to wait in a line,”
How Does The Fast Check-In Work?
- The new bag method works by checking in on the United Airlines mobile application.
- Passengers will then select the number of bags they’ll use.
- You’ll then place your baggage on the scale and scan your boarding pass at the kiosk
- United’s team at the check-in will verify your customer I.D. and apply the baggage tag
- You’re ready to go through security in under one minute
United Airlines isn’t the first airliner to improve the check-in process. Last month, Delta Airlines launched a trial carry-on program on select flights from Tampa, Boston, and Orlando. Delta said they will ask customers if they want to check their carry-on baggage for free.
According to Delta, the company is hoping to “better understand how fewer carry-on bags can positively affect the customer experience—from arriving at the airport through boarding the aircraft.”
COVID-19 caused a major impact on travel delays. With the reopening of borders, many passengers slammed wait times at airports as check-in staff checked proof of vaccination, testing, and recovery documents.
Passengers reported delays of up to four hours as airport staff struggled to speed up the check-in process among the regulations.
United Airlines Delays
In 2021, United Airlines were hampered by delays due to technological issues. In December—during the height of the Omicron variant—United’s mobile app and webpage crashed, leaving passengers with huge delays and inconvenience.
Another technical issue occurred at United Airlines in September 2020 when the entire system crashed, leaving thousands of passengers uncertain about their flight status.
United Airlines said: “We’re experiencing a temporary technical issue that is impacting our website and mobile app and causing some intermittent delays. We’re sorry for this inconvenience and are working to resolve this issue.”
Hopefully, with improvements in technology and the fast check-in process—these issues become a thing of the past.
