phltraveler

You know how it is at airports where United isn't the hub... it's always blank (or almost always) for the baggage carousel in the app.

As far as listing every scan, I would prefer that too.

Hergertarian

I was checking on an NRT -> SFO flight in a few days, and noticed a 'Track my bags (beta)' option on the reservation details screen on mobile.

Anyone use it yet?

SS255

I just tried clicking on it on my iPad, and it crashed the app. Twice.

wh6cto

I will be great to see what it looks like if your bag does NOT make it onto your flight. I wonder if they let you specify what you want to do (i.e. baggage delivery) without waiting in line to talk to staff?

eeflyer

Really? That sounds so convenient! Too bad things regressed.

That's strange. Just to add another datapoint, I just tried it on mine (iOS11, most recent UA app) and don't seem to be getting any crashing.

ermintrude

This would be the only real value of this app for me. In the past I've found it easy to just call up and give my tracking number(s).

eng3

Your bag must be lost. The app panicked and crashed itself to distract you.

There is some value if your flight departs and there is no scan for your bag getting loaded. Or if you want to know if your bag came in on an earlier flight. It saves you some time of standing there waiting and you can go straight to the baggage office.

But yes, directly linking into delay/lost baggage claim. Plus letting you take photos of receipts and directly sending in a reimbursement claim would be nice too.

pnt1

FINALLY. Let's hope this takes off for flights ex-Europe.

uanj

That was a great feature. Your post brings back memories of a time when UA actually had something near modern IT functionality and some inkling of customer service. Before stepping back 15 years to adopt an already already outdated CO IT platform. I still have trouble if I have to check luggage in for four consecutive flights, something UA could handle back in the 90s. In retrospect management's decision to make that switch was mind boggling.

App feature worked fine for me yesterday on a long-haul flight into EWR and connecting beyond. The bag claim belt only updated after I had my luggage though. Hopefully UA will continue their IT upgrades....

3Cforme

The flip side of that is a very agitated passenger aboard the plane if the app tells him his bag didn't make it.

IMHO, the app providing info isn't enough - there needs to be real investment in improving baggage handling.

villox

Even then. If I put myself in this situation, it would help me better plan. Maybe I do some shopping at my connecting point if the luggage didn't make my first flight. Or spend some time looking up places to shop at my destination while inflight. Or send a note onto the hotel to see if they can help me out. To say nothing of the fact fact that I don't need to spend an hour at the carousel wondering if my bag will ever come out.

I can't imagine not wanting as complete information as possible.

seenitall

But what are you going to do if you don't get this confirmation? Get off the plane? Further, my guess is that there will be some inaccuracy due to some bags being put on the flight without getting scanned, or being scanned onto the flight but then falling off the loading belt, etc.

milepig

The part about "what would I do" struck me - do I then fret for the entirely of the flight instead of fretting for 20 minutes when they don't show up on the belt? Lacking some way to respond "I'm on the plane and my bags aren't" I don't see much benefit. I suppose if the status is real time you could ask at the gate before boarding "my bags don't show as loaded" but they're usually still loading bags while the plane is being boarded.

The part about not being scanned but on the plane is, I think, a non issue. I've been watching out of curiosity whenever I can and is seems to be a 100% scan with handheld reader which I assume gives off an audible beep. It is possible that the bags would have gotten lost before they made it to the plane or have been pulled. (I had two pulled once when UA checked me in as the bags to the wrong pax (I'd done online check in) and then the pax they chose didn't show up and they pulled the bags.)

rmadisonwi

I don't think there's anything someone can realistically do sitting on the plane knowing their bag hasn't been loaded (especially since bags are often still being loaded after boarding is complete), but the real benefit to knowing your bag isn't on your flight is specifically that you don't waste 20+ minutes staring at everybody else's bag coming down the baggage claim chute.

Even without the ability to submit a claim through the app, you would know to go directly to baggage services (where they could look up and confirm the status of your bag) and file a claim, and still be out of the airport a half hour sooner than you otherwise would (maybe even longer, since you could beat the rush of other people whose bags may not have made the flight either).

But I suppose some people like sitting at baggage claim watching the same bags go around and around, waiting in false hope that eventually theirs will appear when in reality it is 1,000 miles away.

DetroitFlyer

Some good functionality here.

If your bag arrived on an earlier flight, it will tell you that and advise where to find your bag. If your bag gets rerouted, it will tell you that as well and give specific instructions.