WineCountryUA

Since the App BPs never update the departure times, I tend to use the app's Flight Status. Never have noticed that differing from the airport displays.

kevinsac

Check the monitors, too. Since we know there is a discrepancy sometimes, it's best to doublecheck. If they show different dates, then I go and ask.

bmustaf

I have grown to distrust the app for mostly everything, especially as "refresh" can difficult to force sometimes (even though you pull down, sometimes it doesn't actually refresh), and there have been (an increasing lately, esp) amount of times the push notifications are very delayed (specific to UA app). For example, I typically subscribe to the inbound flight notifications (but never rely on them) and I have been getting "inbound flight landed" notifications while I am boarding the aircraft for my flight.

I still find UA's text message updates timely and accurate and continue to subscribe to them as well as checking the monitors in the club & concourse/terminal areas, unfortunately, in 2016, UA's app is still not reliable and I wouldn't hold one's breath for it to become such.

I repeat: do not rely on the app, it works until, well, it doesn't, there are too many weak links between it as the "system of truth/record" to be reliable IMO (some that UA controls, other that it does not, like Apple's Push & Wallet last mile systems).

tarheelnj

Also sign up for the text alerts. Usually unnecessary, I don't recall them ever being inaccurate (even when the app was), and you get another text when the gate changes.

dmurphynj

Exactly. Just pull down on the BP in the app and it refreshes with the latest info. Sometimes you have to pull it two or three times till you get the 'spinner' icon.

I don't put any stock into the gate on the mobile BP; I'd be concerned if you told
me the flight status page was wrong, but that's not the case.

Mobile BP's are just like paper ones - good at the time they were printed. Canonical information is in the flight status page.

Imstevek

I find the app is pretty good if you check the reservation page - including delays and incoming plane. mobile BP isn't very useful for updates.

transportbiz

Do you still have to manually request a refresh of the boarding pass on the app? That would explain it, the boarding pass remains (or used to) static on the app, until you touch the "refresh" button. Then it would show the changed gate, and also seat if you've been upgraded last minute.

The AA app, refreshes the boarding pass every time you pull it up. So, it's usually current unless you keep it open on your screen.

Overall the UA app is perhaps the only thing I really miss about flying UA, it is a great app.

Imstevek

if you keep it open, you need to manual refresh. It's hardly the only app out there that requires a refresh.

WR Cage

Another trick I have picked up as a result of IOS 9 and the new wifi finder feature. I turn off wifi on my iPhone when in the airport and especially when in the airplane. The problem I find is that he apps will default to wifi from cellular data, only to have a sign up "pay wall" interfere with accessing the Internet.

Example, on or near UA airplanes, if you have wifi turned on, the UA app on the phone on the phone, the app will not refresh until signed onto UA wifi page. Turning off the iPhone wifi will force a connection over cellular data.

The feature UA has to build into their app is the ability to toggle cellular data over wifi.

dmurphynj

Without getting too technical, that's not something you build on an app level, but that's handled by iOS. All the app does is open a data connection; it's up to the OS to manage the network 'plumbing' if you will.

As for the mobile BP's - I'm glad they DON'T refresh every time you open them. That would slow down loading and cause issues when, say, you're in Airplane Mode. I'd rather it be cached as it is and let me manually refresh if need be.

Just as you shouldn't count on the gate info on a paper BP, don't count on a mobile one either. Use that big fancy "Flight Status" button on the app's home screen.

The UA app is incredibly well done. Probably one of the most functional apps on my phone - far and away the best airline app for sure.

milepig

UA never sends me texts.

mduell

This isn't new, UA has been failing to consistently or reliably update gates in the app boarding pass and passbook boarding pass since they were implemented.

Ha, good one. Yea, I'm sure they'll start sending those consistently/reliably... some day.

notquiteaff

Is there any reason they couldn't just display the cached data and at the same time fire off a request to see if there are updates? That would get the current BP on the screen right away (e.g., when I need it to go through security or when I am boarding) but could still update it with more current information automatically.

UA_Flyer

I also note the discrepancy between the information on the Boarding Pass on the APP versus the information on the "Flight Status" page. I have long since not bothered with reading Boarding Pass just go straight to flight status page.

I also find texts not delivered consistently.

garykung

Scbscribe the SMS option for flight alert.

The App is really passive in term of any flight alerts.