How to Fly United Airlines

Last Updated: May 19, 2025 References

Have you considered flights from any other airline? Whether you are traveling for a vacation or immigrating to the United States, United Airlines is an airline to use. With 8 hubs and more than 350+ destinations around the world, you can expect the best before starting your vacation. However, there is a fair share of issues that you can run into in many ways. If you're considering United, use this wikiHow article before preparing for your long-awaited vacation.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Considering Destinations

With United having its headquarters at O'Hare and it's named arena here at the United Center (for the Chicago Bulls/Blackhawks), and known as the Windy City, things can get a bit windy when traveling in Chicago! This is also the Midwest hub for United and the largest hub overall. If you want to get through international routes around the area or want quick and easy access to Canada, Chicago would be your best bet.
If you would like to visit the Space Center in Houston or see the local favorites (Houston Zoo, Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park, and Kemah Boardwalk), Houston is a great area to choose. This United hub is also serving most Latin American flight services (mostly in Brazil, Panama, Mexico, and Chile), so if you are connecting to see locations down south, this would be a good idea. If not, you can use other flights to get you to your desired destination, including American Airlines, Delta Connection, Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, and Spirit Airlines. ^{[1]
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Earning an extra mile in one place is one thing, but visiting Denver (along with many sports teams, including the Nuggets and Broncos) is a place you can book your vacation, too. This is also the Rocky Mountain hub for United, so if you want to discover places in Wyoming, Nevada, Montana, or travel alongside the United Express team to short-haul flights, you can be impressed with Denver's business. If you don't use United, you can also use Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines to save money. ^{[2]
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If you plan to go to Universal Studios in Hollywood or see Beverly Hills and the glamorous city, Los Angeles is a good hotspot. This is one of the two main West Coast hubs for United, so traveling to Asia is a great area to be. As an alternative, you can trust and connect American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and Delta Air Lines to other places.
While this city may be famous for many things, including the Statue of Liberty and Madison Square Garden, seeing New York's charm is also a wonderful way to sightsee. This is also the main East Coast hub for United, as traveling to multiple European destinations, including Paris, Rome/Venice, Milan, and Munich are great way for your vacation. As alternatives, you can also use European airlines (Eurowings, TAP Air, and Scandinavian Airlines) and connect to two main airports to travel to and connect to your destination (JFK Airport and LaGuardia Airport).
Famous for cool summers, landmarks, and the Chinatown district nearby, San Francisco is always there to impress you during your vacation. This is also considered the main hub for the West Coast, so if you need to travel to Honolulu, Australia/New Zealand, and multiple international destinations, this would be fantastic for your travel plans. Other alternatives in SFO include Alaska Airlines (as another hub), ANA (for Tokyo), Eva Air (for Taipei), and many more. ^{[3]
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If your bucket list includes visiting Washington, DC and personally meeting the president, this can be a selection you can try on United. There is a lot to consider here, alongside the Cherry Blossom parade (handled every Spring) and the Smithsonian Institution. This is also the hub to get easy access to Washington, DC, and services to all 6 populated continents to see the beauty of what the capital has to give you.
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Visit Guam and the island hopper. Originally done for Continental Micronesia starting in 1968 until the merger in 2010, you can use the route to land in the Marshall Islands, Majuro, Kwajalein, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Chuuk before visiting Guam. When landing in these airports, expect a moment of peace when seeing these islands. When in Guam, you can see the beautiful beaches and aquariums that accompany this island. If you need to ever connect to other flights, you can continue the island hopper and either go to Manila or Palau, or connect to Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, and Busan with the small number of airlines serving Guam. ^{[4]
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- Did you know that this flight can take over 14 hours when doing the island hopper route? ^{[5]
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  Research source} This makes the addition of having a spare pilot, flight attendant, and even airplane parts in the case of an emergency.
  - You can also see the majestic 4-hour flight to begin/end the island hopper, which goes from Honolulu to Majuro. Enjoy the hotels and beaches when visiting Majuro and the airport.
As mentioned earlier, you can travel to your desired vacation hotspot (with more than 350+ destinations). Sometimes, you won't be able to travel nonstop because your airport doesn't have lots of destinations to go to, but if you connect using the multiple hubs United has, you'll travel directly with 2 or more flights. ^{[6]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Booking the Flight

1
Visit the United website. In your web browser, you can visit https://www.united.com/en/us or https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/reservations.html to book your flight. United can also give you a cruise, a hotel, a vacation package, and a car to rent. Since you are booking the flight, you will need to click the flight tab. ^{[7]
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- Alternatively, you can book using the United app. These steps will be similar to this part.
- You can also select if you are booking with MileagePoints or need a flexible date to arrive there quickly. You can also tell the system to book a one-way trip or go round-trip.
2
Select your locations. You can type your airport to begin at (for example - San Francisco as SFO), and you can type in the destination you want to go to. ^{[8]
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Research source} After you search, several airports will be shown along with their destination - click on the one you are going to.
- In some cases, there will be destinations that say "All Airports" as an option (for example, Osaka, Japan to OSA - All Airports). If you decide to select the option that gives you all of the airports, you'll get a cheaper fare than other flights.
You can adjust to the number of passengers you'll be bringing with you, which can be sorted into Seniors, Children by the age difference, and Infants under the age of 2 (and those that need their seatbelt). ^{[9]
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Research source} This can be adjusted when needed, but do note that you'll have special boarding procedures (which will be explained later) if the passenger group includes infants.
You can either select Economy (Basic), Premium Economy, or Polaris First/Business. While all of these classes are good, if you're looking for a cheaper price, the Basic Economy is a good choice while with some restrictions. ^{[10]
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Choose a departure and an arrival flight. United will recommend the cheapest fares, but you can select the class you need, whether if it is flexible, or the lowest amount you can get. You can also adjust the beginning of your flight by clicking on the earlier dates.
- Since United is partnered with Star Alliance, you may see flights operated by different airlines that can be booked. Don't worry - you'll get to your destination quickly either way.
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Review the trip summary. You will see how your flight will go, along with the prediction of CO2 gas being used (and the amenities the flight will give you). This trip summary will also give you the time to have a United Club pass, which will give you access to relax and unwind before the flight.
- If you would like, you can hold the trip summary by buying FareLock, which lets you hold your tickets while deciding for a small fee. ^{[12]
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You are required to fill in your first and last name, along with your DOB and Gender. You can also fill in your special requests if you are a vegetarian and have any disability.
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Select your seat. You will be given a seat map of the entire plane, and you can see what seats are available for the flight. Per the class, you can select the seat that you would like to be in.
- Do note that if you want to change your mind and upgrade, you will need to be considerate and see that you won't be guaranteed to get upgraded. ^{[13]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

On the Airport

If you decide to make this offer, you'll save the hassle of waiting in line to get your ticket and baggage checked out. You can either do this by going to https://www.united.com/en/us/checkin or the United app. ^{[14]
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When you walk into the United terminal check-in area, you will need to first check-in by going to the United Kiosk. You'll need to then follow the directions listed to check-in, but you may need a form of identification to have the airline locate you in the case of an emergency. ^{[16]
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In the case of overweight baggage or if you need to check your baggage (if it is not a carry-on), you will need to visit the ticketing desk. It would be best to make sure that the baggage can be 50 kilograms (on Economy) and 70 kilograms with United Premier Silver+/Star Alliance Gold/Polaris. ^{[17]
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If you have a United Club pass or riding in Polaris Business/First Class, you can discover the amenities before going on your flight. You can relax and unwind with the multiple snacks and beverages available, and keep up with the latest news by turning on the United Wi-Fi. ^{[18]
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To board your flight, do note that United gives pre-boarding for people that have children under the age of 2, have a certain type of disability, those in the military (active), Premier 1K members, and United Global Service members. It will then follow Star Alliance Gold members, Premier Platinum/Gold members, and Polaris travelers. After this, it will go to Premier/Star Alliance Silver, those with Priority Boarding, Premier Access, and United Explorer, Presidential Plus, and Awards card members. The last few groups will be those in Economy Plus, United Economy, and Basic Economy. ^{[20]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

In the Plane

1
Connect to United Wi-Fi when needed. If you need to stay connected to the latest news or social media, connecting to United Wi-Fi can be a great idea for a small fee. You can either decide to pay for the Wi-Fi for the entire flight or a few hours, depending on your decision (either paying via credit card or by MileageMiles). Do note that different Wi-Fi providers can change during the flight, but you may not be able to get Wi-Fi quickly due to certain restrictions. ^{[21]
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- Do note that United WiFi will not allow apps that carry video conferencing, including Zoom and Facebook Messenger. This is to avoid interfering with the plane. ^{[22]
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See the IFE. On most United planes, there will be an IFE screen at the front of your seat. You can have access to many movies and TV shows and also listen to music and podcasts. (On select flights, you can also play games in the IFE, though this may differ).
- In select flights from Boeing 737, there will be DirecTV service on the IFE. This will give you more than 100+ channels that are available, free of charge. ^{[23]
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  - This service is only available if the flight is from the continental United States. If the plane exits this area, recorded movies/TV shows will only be watched in the IFE.
- If your United plane does not have any IFE source, you can instead download the United app and do United Private Screening to watch your movies/TV shows in advance. ^{[24]
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  Research source} There is a device holder that is ahead of your seat in this scenario. You can hold the blue bar and place it over your device to watch your content. Make sure that you can connect to United Wi-Fi before doing this feature.
If you like to read or a bookworm yourself, United has a magazine you can read on. In this magazine, you'll be able to read multiple sections, including sports, travel, entertainment, fitness, education, and business. ^{[25]
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Charge your devices with the power outlet. On most flights, you will be able to charge your devices if you decide to bring your power outlet. However, not all seats will give you a power outlet, and on domestic flights, select seating will not give you a power outlet. You will need to check https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/inflight/power-outlets.html to find the exact info relating to the aircraft you are using for your flight.
- Do note that you will need to unplug your devices for takeoff and landing per flight attendant instructions if you are seated near an exit row.
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Dig in through the delectable food and drinks. On most flights, you will be given a meal service that can be complimentary (along with drinks and snacks) or a Choice Menu Snack/Bistro shop menu. In Polaris, you'll get yourself free meals during the time of the day of the plane. ^{[26]
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- Do know that flights that are less than an hour for United First (or less than 800 miles for United Economy) passengers will not receive a snack, but you are recommended to bring one. All non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary on all flights. If your flight lasts less than 300 miles, request a drink from a flight attendant. You also need a contactless form of payment to pay for snacks and drinks. ^{[28]
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Tips

For most flights, try to be 2 hours ahead of departure time for domestic flights, and 3 hours for international routes when checking in the airport. Some airports may even place specific times for checking in, so adjust your travel plans when needed. ^{[31]
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Warnings

Be prepared for any delays or cancellations. In the case you miss their flight, you can join a Standby list, rebook the flight, check if you have a new flight, or get alternative airports. ^{[32]
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How to Fly United Airlines

Steps

Considering Destinations

Booking the Flight

On the Airport

In the Plane

Expert Q&A

Tips

Warnings

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References

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