Xyzzy

That's it -- THANKS! n my Android phone I was using mobile.united.com -- going to www.united.com I get the new site.

danielSuper

Because it's bloated, slows down/drains your phone and has no consideration for your privacy - it needs access to your location, phone, photos, identity, calendar and many others. There is no tracking what United does with your location history or phone call logs for example.

They have an app because they don't want to develop modern, responsive mobile website. There is not a single feature or functionality that cannot be replicated using web technologies. If they used camera and augmented reality for identification of planes or barometer data to predict weather or whatnot, it would make some sense. Right now the deal is - just let us vacuum your private data and bloat your phone for limited functionality.

wavid

On iOS at least it only asks for Location (set to "While Using" by default, and can be disabled) and Notifications by default. Will also ask for Calendar when you try and add a reservation to your calendar, and Camera when using the Passport/document scanning feature.

RobOnLI

You do know most of that is completely false, right? Yes, UA may use your calendar, camera and location. But that's only if you let it. Just like most other modern apps, you can choose what the United app can and cannot access on your phone. For example, it cannot access my location or camera, ever!

I hardly see how the United app is bloated by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, I don't like how some of it functions (the "flight status" is still a pet peeve of mine) but it does what it needs to do.

For those who say they use the mobile website for changing itineraries, etc. then that makes complete sense. The app can't even do that yet and winds up opening a web browser to allow you to try and change your flights (and 99% of the time it has never worked for me).

I'm simply pointing out that you are not correct in stating UA uses all the data you suggested it does. You, as the user, has the option to allow United to use the data or not. Whether the app is bloated or not is a point of personal impression I believe.

-RM

LondonElite

Now I get a nice front screen with the pretty mountains, etc, then I snaps back to the old front page.

danielSuper

This is latest version of app on latest pure Android - https://i.imgur.com/fMNhmKR.png Can you point average user where he can disable the permissions?

You need to go 8 clicks deep to arcane menu, and even there it will warn you, quote "This app was designed for an older version of Android. Denying the permission may cause it to no longer function". And it will crash on certain actions as a result.

I assure you 99% of population has all this tracking enabled by default. And for what? It's 200MB unpacked HTTP wrapper with limited functions that runs in background, eating the battery and doing who knows what. If thats not bloated, than I don't know what is.

Hope that answers the question "why do people use webpage instead of an app"

emcampbe

WineCountryUA

At installation you can deny those invasive permissions. But once you have enabled, it takes the more involved method to disable.

Flying Machine

flyerbaby19

The full desktop site no longer works on my phone. when i try to book a flight the box is basically a big blue square w nothing in it.

fumje

Has the old mobile site gone away completely now? I can't find a way to access it any longer. First noticed consistent redirection to the new perhaps a couple weeks ago but didn't try to force.



edit add:
It is somewhat involved, but not terrible I think:
'Settings' > 'Apps & notifications' > 'See all __ apps' > 'United Airlines' > 'Permissions' > toggle each one off.
That's only six layers.

It would be good if there were an option to 'allow for 5 minutes' or the like. As you say, if you ever allow the app permission to something, you have to disable it manually again afterwards.