This morning, United Airlines announced a brand new rollout to its mobile app, adding Live Activities for iPhones with Dynamic Island. Passengers with the iPhone 14 Pro and/or 14 Pro Max can now access real-time flight information from their lock screen.
Updating the United App
Continuing its dedication to becoming one of the best airline in the USA, United has grow to be the primary airline to update its mobile app to work with Apple’s recent Live Activities feature available on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. Through the update, customers can access real-time information on their lock screen and the Dynamic Island if the phone is unlocked.
United says its passengers check their mobile boarding passes and flight status over 800,000 times day by day. Profiting from the brand new capabilities rolled out last September with the iPhone 14 Pro lineup, United has now made boarding passes, gate and seat numbers, and a countdown clock to departure time, available without having to unlock a phone.
Photo: United Airlines
The next information is accessible with just a fast glance at a screen:
- Lock screen or dynamic island (when unlocked and expanded) – Flight number, on-time status, inbound aircraft status, estimated departure and arrival times, and more.
- Lock screen – open boarding pass directly from Live Activity
- Dynamic Island – departure and arrival gates, pre and in-flight countdowns, baggage carousel information
“We’re seeing soaring demand for travel this summer, and Live Activities puts all of the flight information you wish right at your fingertips, whether your iPhone is locked otherwise you’re doing something else like checking email, listening to music or texting friends. This recent feature is one other way United is leveraging technology to enhance our customers’ travel journey. It will save passengers loads of time, and we expect they are going to find it irresistible, especially during a busy travel season.” – Linda Jojo, Chief Customer Officer, United Airlines
The update has began to roll out and shall be widely available by the tip of the month. To experience United’s recent features, passengers should have their phones running iOS 16.1 or later, and the United App have to be up-to-date.
First retrofitted aircraft
Just a few years ago, United announced the United Next program, which included massive orders for brand new aircraft and upgrades to its aircraft interiors for each recent aircraft and retrofitting old ones. Last week, the carrier unveiled its first retrofitted aircraft, a 25-year-old Airbus A319.
As shown within the tweet above, the retrofitted A319 features larger overhead bins with room to store one carry-on per passenger onboard, IFE screens and power at every seat, Bluetooth connectivity for IFE, and recent United First seats. Because the carrier has taken delivery of several Boeing 737 MAXs, many have come fitted with the brand new interiors, however the A319 was the primary aircraft of about 100 to be retrofitted.