Summary
- United Airlines automatically changed seats for 18,000 passengers last month, or 40% of eligible passengers.
- The new feature notifies passengers about the availability of preferred seats and enables automatic rebooking.
- United’s app now offers live radar maps for weather updates and allows rebooking in case of disruptions.
Free seat change
In March 
United Airlines has announced a new feature for its app that was initially only available to a limited number of people. The new feature notifies passengers when their preferred seat becomes available after booking and even automatically rebooks passengers. Since launching and testing the feature, United has made it available to all passengers.
According to an announcement made today, the Chicago-based airline was able to automatically change seats for more than 18,000 passengers last month, representing nearly 40% of all eligible passengers within the same class of service. Currently, the feature only works on the airline’s mobile app, where passengers can select their preferred seat. When a preferred seat becomes available, it is changed and United notifies the passenger.
Photo: United Airlines
The process is simple:
- Request preferred seat in the mobile app if your preferred seat type is not available at the time of booking your flight.
- Choose your seatincluding preferences for window or aisle seats, emergency exit rows or bulkhead seats.
- Automatic assignment and notification of your new seat assignment when your preferred seat becomes available.
Photo: United Airlines
Further app changes
Earlier last month, United further cemented its app as the best airline app in the world. The airline announced that if a flight was affected by weather, Send live radar maps to passengers via SMS and also make them available in the app This should reduce confusion when a flight is delayed due to weather even though there is no bad weather at the departure or destination.
To make this possible, United has set up a dedicated customer service team to handle these updates. This team works with the flight operations teams in the operations centers and uses generative artificial intelligence (AI) data to track and predict flight data. The same maps can be found in the app Flight status Section.
Photo: United Airlines
Just over a year ago, United announced a feature that would allow passengers rebook your flights via the app in case of disruptions . Testing of the feature began in late 2022 and took about six months before it was available to all passengers. But the feature goes far beyond mere rebooking; passengers can also choose their hotel and receive food and transport vouchers in appropriate situations.
During the testing phase, United found that about half of the affected passengers resolved their issues naturally through the app and website. Airport staff provided positive feedback and highlighted the shorter lines. This change eventually led to United removing its customer service centers from its hubs and urging customers to use the app and the Agent On Demand (AoD) feature.
Linda Jojo, United’s Chief Customer Officer, said:
“Our new feature in the mobile app provides greater transparency, saves time and reduces stress for our customers. It also shortens lines at customer service desks so our agents can better assist passengers with complex issues or questions. It is also another example of United’s continued investment in new technology and tools.”
