United Airlines doubles required check-in times without immediate enforcement

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United Airlines doubles required check-in times without immediate enforcement

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Gary Leff Chief Financial Officer | View from the Wing

By Sky Industry News

Jul 5, 2024

United Airlines has updated its 'contract of carriage' to double the required check-in time for passengers, although enforcement of this policy has not yet begun. As reported by Live and Let's Fly, domestic flight passengers must now check in at least 60 minutes before departure, an increase from the previous 30-minute requirement. For international flights, the new check-in time is 75 minutes prior to departure, up from 60 minutes.

Certain airports may have different check-in requirements. According to United Airlines, these changes are not currently being enforced but could be in the future. The airline's website has not been updated to reflect these changes.

"We’ve updated our Contract of Carriage to allow for possible future changes," a United spokesperson stated. "However, at this time there has been no change to the check-in times on united.com. Any changes in check-in times will be posted there before they go into effect at the airport."

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Matthew Klint suggests that updating the Contract of Carriage now is necessary because tickets sold today may be for travel as late as May 2025, and the terms in place at purchase apply to those tickets. He speculates that United could implement this change as soon as June 2025.

Basic economy customers face additional challenges since they are not allowed to check in online or via the airline’s mobile app. This necessitates arriving early enough at the airport to ensure reaching the front of the line an hour before departure—a process dependent on various factors including staff availability and kiosk numbers.

Online check-in can sometimes fail for certain itineraries or due to long lines for checking bags. United aims to position itself as a premium carrier catering to customers with high opportunity costs for their time—those who tend to arrive later at airports due to busy schedules.

"This is a move that certainly works for the convenience of the airline but is customer-unfriendly," one observer noted.