Cool new United feature notifies you if your preferred seat becomes available
United Airlines' mobile app has long been one of the best in the industry, and it's getting even more useful with this new feature.
Beginning Friday, March 22, travelers will be able to sign up for seat notifications and get automatically moved if their preferred seat is not available at the time of booking, as confirmed by a United spokesperson.
When booking (or managing) a flight on the mobile app, you'll be able to request your desired seat while browsing the seat map.
For instance, if you're booking just a few days before departure and only middle seats are left, you can set an alert to be automatically moved to a window or aisle seat if one becomes available.
The app will also allow you to opt into notifications for exit rows and bulkhead (first-row) seats. If your desired seat choice becomes available, the app will automatically reassign your seat and notify you that it processed the seat change.
For example, if you set a seat preference alert three days before your flight, United will start monitoring for your preference, and if it becomes available up to 12 hours before departure and you're next in line, the airline will automatically move you to a new seat and send you a notification about it.
United didn't share how frequently it will check the seat map on your behalf.
Related: Touring United's renovated Chicago headquarters in the Willis Tower
This new app feature will begin rolling out on Friday to a small group of customers, followed in the weeks ahead by a broader rollout to additional flyers. United didn't share which travelers would be in the first tranche of eligible users, but we'll update this story with some firsthand experiences when we get our hands on the feature.
For United travelers, this is a nifty new (and free) service that should incentivize more downloads and engagement with the app. United says that 3 million flyers use its app on a daily basis.
It's also the latest feature that United has debuted to simplify the digital travel experience, building on initiatives such as Live Activities on the latest iPhone devices and a new all-in-one rebooking center for delays and cancellations.
As part of the news, United has become the first and only U.S. airline to offer a seat preference feature.
For those booking tickets on other airlines, there are several third-party tools that can monitor your seat assignment and notify you if better seats become available. This includes ExpertFlyer, which allows you to set seat alerts on most major airlines and sends email and text notifications when seats open up. (ExpertFlyer is owned by TPG's parent company, Red Ventures.)
Related reading:
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app