United Passengers Are Required to Check In Earlier Starting June 3

May 28, 2025

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Running fifteen minutes late isn’t the end of the world—unless you’re on the way to board a flight, that is.

Starting June 3, 2025, United Airlines will require passengers to check in for domestic flights at least 45 minutes before departure, replacing its previous 30-minute guideline.

The new rule applies to passengers both with and without checked baggage. Travelers who don’t need to check any bags can check in online 24 hours before their flight and get a digital boarding pass. For international flights, travelers must check in at least 60 minutes before departure.

“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 spokesperson tells Condé Nast Traveler. “Customers can review domestic and international airport check-in time limits here and use our lobby kiosks for self-service as needed.”

It’s a small policy tweak, but travelers who unknowingly miss the new check in cutoff may not be allowed to board. “If you don’t meet your check-in time limits, we’ll do our best to find another option,” United’s website says. “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.”

Nobody likes spending more time than needed at the airport, but recently, travelers have been pushing their luck as a viral trend called “airport theory” gains traction on social media. The genius idea? Arrive to the airport just 20 minutes before your flight’s departure to avoid spending an unnecessary amount of time inside the terminal (until you miss your flight and are stuck waiting all day for the next one, of course).

It goes without say that we don’t advise testing this out, especially as most US airlines close gates 15 minutes before takeoff. It’s recommended across the board to arrive to the airport 2 hours before departure for domestic flights and 3 hours for international.

For all the rule followers out there, see below for a cheat sheet outlining the check in cutoff times for major US airlines. Select US airports—like Honolulu (HNL) and Guam (GUM)—have special time limits for check in, so be sure to check your airline’s website to confirm the most up to date guidelines.