Stuck in a middle seat? United's app will help you find a better one
Nearly everyone hates being stuck in the dreaded middle seat, and United is doing its part to help upgrade your onboard experience.
As part of the airline's latest mobile app update (version 4.1.36), the airline will now send you a push notification if you're stuck in the middle and a better seat becomes available. The latest update is now available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Once you receive the push notification, you can log in to your existing booking and change your seat in just a few taps. We reached out to United to learn more about how the new functionality works, and we'll update the story if we hear back.
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This is the latest flyer-friendly feature that United has added to its mobile app. The airline recently debuted a new group shopping experience that lets you share itineraries and preferred flights with a group of friends or family members who are all traveling together.
Late last year, United released a major new version of its app, focused on enhanced day-of-travel updates, a refreshed MileagePlus member account page, accessibility improvements and more.
While United is leading the charge on mobile technology, any traveler — regardless of airline — can use ExpertFlyer to snag a better seat. One of the key features of ExpertFlyer — which is owned by TPG parent company Red Ventures — is the ability to set seat alerts for any type of seat, including an aisle, window, bulkhead or exit row.
Related: How to boost your chances of getting a better seat by 91% or more
You can choose to include premium, paid or blocked seats, which are available sometimes to elites and other frequent flyers. After setting an alert, you'll be immediately notified via email (or text, if you prefer) should your preferred seat become available.
Personally, I've used ExpertFlyer countless times to snag a better seat — and I'm excited that United is deploying a similar feature to its mobile app.
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| 10x | Earn 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. |
| 5x | Earn 5x total points on flights through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. |
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Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®80,000 bonus pointsAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
If you are looking to take your premium rewards to the highest level, this card is really a no brainer in our eyes. Chase's Ultimate Rewards make points easy to redeem, with a wide range of 10 airline and three hotel transfer partners and a friendly user interface. Despite the high annual fee, Chase is consistently adding new benefits to keep the card competitive in a fierce premium rewards field.Pros
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year
- Access to Chase Ultimate Rewards hotel and airline travel partners
- Unlimited 3x points on the broad category of travel and dining
- 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Broad definitions for travel and dining bonus categories
Cons
- Steep $550 annual fee
- May not make sense for people that don't travel frequently
- You must spend the $300 travel credit before earning 3x points for travel and dining
- No automatic hotel elite status
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,200 toward travel
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more