Mats

I really like the integration with the Apple Watch. It makes TSA document check and boarding very fast, very simple... even quicker than a phone. It works very well for getting into the United Club: flick of the watch, and that's it.

The only problem is with Airserv.

In some locations, Airserv agents verify PreCheck status before one is allowed into the PreCheck line. They don't have QR scanners, so they have to squint, and one has to convince them that it really has the green check mark.

Then at Dulles (the only airport I know that has this problem,) Airserv agents check boarding passes for Express flights. Even if you just scanned to board, and even if there is one flight, one jetway, an Airserv "Ambassador" has to read everyone's boarding card or phone (no good reason. Job creation?) So everyone fumbles with their phones while the Airserv agent squints, and they will not accept a boarding pass on an Apple Watch.

One of them said to me, "You can't be here." She wasn't wearing her SIDA badge, so I replied, "You can't be here either." Busted. When I filed a complaint, I was told "she had a badge, but wasn't displaying it." Ummm, still against the law and subject to a fine. Try again, Airserv.

United was--I think--the airline that pioneered Apple Watch integration. Too bad their contract ground agents at Airserv are incapable of accepting tis technology.

So I guess it's not a bug in technology, it's a failure of United as an airline to integrate the technology as it was designed.

RandomBaritone

Remember, I wasn't the one who encountered the issue. My husband was. He's not a travel hobbyist. And put yourself in his shoes: he only checked himself in. Not me. There was no reason whatsoever for him even to think my boarding pass was on his phone. When he tapped the small image of his own boarding pass in the app, with his name on it, there was no reason for him to double-check the name on the full-screen pass.

And while the advice from multiple posters to print a backup paper boarding pass is good in general, note that I'm reporting a bug. The UA team has posted several times in app-related FT threads, and I hope this will help them fix the problem before it affects others.

physioprof

I'm not questioning whether this was a problem for your husband, whether he should have known how to work around this app behavior, nor whether this app behavior is a bug. I'm genuinely curious about what exactly the app was doing, and specifically whether the issue is that it only loaded your BP when he clicked on his name, or whether it loaded both, but defaulted to display yours instead of his. If you don't know, that's cool.

RandomBaritone

It loaded both, but defaulted to display mine instead of his. And bizarrely, when I checked my own phone later, while logged into the app as myself, my phone defaulted to his boarding pass instead of mine. Truly worst-case.

I'll post a video tomorrow demonstrating the weirdness after our return flight. Meanwhile, thanks for clarifying your question.

physioprof

Thanks for clarifying. Definitely not optimal behavior for the app.

RandomBaritone

Here's the video I made documenting the bug:

physioprof

Thanks for posting that. One further question: Is it always the other BP to the one that you click on that stays full screen, or is it always the same BP that stays full screen, regardless of which one you click on?

RandomBaritone

In my limited testing it was always the other one -- always the one you didn't actually tap on -- which is part of why I think it's just a nasty bug, rather than some kind of confusing but intentional functionality.

euslaner

Had access to the new site but that access is gone--united.com opens old site.

Account had mileage credit added--most likely the 2400+ miles from SFO-IAD on Sunday past, but mobile site said "no activity." Checked on upgrade status for flight tomorrow and got both "United services unavailable" and "Pull to refresh" (can't do anything with that).

Jeff's revenge?

plc44

Yeah, my account has been zeroed out of everything except PQD's^

jonu

I have an updated United app but haven't upgraded to iOS 9 yet. App won't save boarding passes to Passbook. Guessing this may have to do with the Passbook (now Wallet) changes in iOS9? Anyone else having problems?

Cargojon

I'm on an updated version w/8 and I'm fine.

Michael D

I just updated to iOS9 today and up to that point using the most recent United App (Sept 14 update) on two iPads and four iPhones (counting SO's) without any problem on iOS8.

jonu

OK, working now. Must have just been a temporary glitch.

emcampbe

I doubt it has anything to do with that. I had this happen once several months ago. The only way I got it to work was to log out, quit the app, re-boot the phone, and then re-log on.