United Made a Big Change to Its Check-in Policy—Here’s What Travelers Should Know

One U.S. airline is changing its pre-departure rules just as summer travel begins to take off.

Starting June 3, United Airlines will change its check-in time limits for domestic flights. Under the new rules, all travelers on domestic flights must check in at least 45 minutes before departure.

Previously, passengers who were flying within the U.S. and were not checking bags could check in 15 minutes closer to takeoff, with the former cutoff for those fliers being at least 30 minutes before departure.

The policy change means that all domestic passengers will now have the same check-in time limits, regardless of whether they’re checking luggage. “The change brings greater consistency for our customers by aligning with our current checked baggage deadline and the check-in policies followed by most other airlines,” a United Airlines spokesperson told Travel + Leisure.

Travelers on United’s international flights will still have the same check-in cutoff time of 60 minutes before departure.

Passengers who miss their flight’s check-in window are not issued a boarding pass and are not allowed to board their plane. “If you don’t meet your check-in time limits, we’ll do our best to find another option,” United says on its website. “However, we have the right to deny service which may result in cancellation of your reservation, denied boarding or the option to check your bags.”

Check-in opens 24 hours before a flight’s departure time and can be completed on an airline’s website, mobile app, or in person at the airport—either at a self-service kiosk or at your carrier’s check-in desk in the terminal’s ticketing area. The process usually takes just a couple minutes or less.

Although fliers are allowed to check in for United’s domestic flights less than an hour before their plane takes off, it’s usually a good idea to complete the process much earlier, especially during the busy summer vacation season. Checking in early means that passengers who haven’t yet selected a seat will still have plenty of appealing spots to choose from. For basic economy fliers who are automatically assigned a seat at check-in, completing the process early gives them a better chance of securing their place on the plane, which in some cases might lessen their chances of being bumped from their plane in the event of an oversold flight. 

Passengers who want to complete check-in at the airport should plan to arrive at the terminal well ahead of their departure time, especially during peak summer months. “Give yourself at least two hours to park or return a rental car, take a shuttle to the airport if needed, check in with your airline and drop your bags, and prepare for the security checkpoint,” the TSA said in a recent release obtained by T+L. “If you do not have a REAL ID or some other form of acceptable ID, you should arrive at the airport even earlier than the suggested two hours for additional screening.” 

Passengers traveling on international flights should also plan to get to the airport earlier: arriving about three hours before takeoff is considered the safe rule of thumb to accommodate earlier check-in and boarding times on international routes.