With stunningly icy weather currently sweeping across the Midwestern and Northeastern US, in some cases dropping to negative 60 degrees Fahrenheit including wind chill (or -51 Celsius), travel delays and cancellations are reaching levels not seen in recent memory.

In the midst of the potential confusion and frustration of not knowing if your flight will actually take off, United Airlines has added a timely update to its mobile app (download for iOS or Android). It can now give you more information about a flight delay, including the cause of the issue, the new expected arrival time at your airport, the new estimated departure time and the new estimated time to arrive at your destination.

This comes as part of an overall redesign of the app to make it friendlier to use for customers who do not fly often.

SEE: Apple Music becomes American Airlines’ official in-flight streaming service

This info will be accessible from within the app’s Inbox section, indicated by an envelope icon at the bottom right corner of the app’s home screen. If there is a flight alert, you’ll be able to tell at a glance, because the envelope will go from gray to blue, and it will get a red dot in one corner. Then just tap the envelope to see your list of alerts.

If there are any gate changes, you’ll get a notification here as well, with the exact time when the alert was sent out. In either case, the Inbox will also tell you when it was last updated with new info, and you can swipe down from the middle of the screen to manually check for updates.

Independently of an app, you can also arrange to get alerts from United via email or SMS text message. Click this link to get started. We’d generally recommend multiple alert methods anyway, because text messages can sometimes fail to arrive, and the mobile app needs an internet connection that may not always be available on your way to the airport.

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If you just want to confirm the details of your United flight, tap the Flight Status icon to the right of the Inbox icon. This tool can actually look up any United flight that’s scheduled for the next several days, so if you’re preparing to receive guests, you can confirm their travel details here as well.

While delayed flight info is a helpful addition, it’s not the only important change to the United Airlines app. In addition to the new Inbox, you also now have a “My Profile” section where you can manage a MileagePlus account, and a “My Trips” section where you can look at the travel info for previous trips or look up a reservation for an upcoming flight.

If you’re wondering where you can find airport maps, get rideshare or lodging assistance, or check baggage fees, that’s available by tapping the hamburger menu icon in the upper left.

Takeaways

• United Airlines recently updated its mobile app to include more detailed information about flight delays. This info will appear in the app’s new Inbox section.
• You can still elect to receive flight alerts via email and SMS text message; we recommend doing so for redundancy.

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Press release from the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission:

The Redwood Region Economic Development Commission (RREDC) and the Humboldt County Department of Aviation announced today that United Airlines will be adding a second departure to LAX starting May 29, 2019.

United Airlines had previously announced that nonstop service from Humboldt County (ACV) to Denver International Airport (DEN) will start June 7, 2019.

With the addition of the second LAX flight, the summer schedule will include six departures per day, one to Denver, two to Los Angeles, and three to San Francisco.
Flights to and from Los Angeles have been very popular from the very start of the service. RREDC and the County Department of Aviation would like to extend their gratitude to the flying public for their enthusiastic support of the service.

For more information, go to http://www.flyhumboldt.org

In January, United Airlines rolled out a redesigned version of its smartphone app designed to cater to not only frequent fliers but those who fly with United once a year, Linda Jojo, the airline’s chief digital officer, told Business Insider in a recent interview.

Such consideration is crucial, considering roughly 85% of the airline’s customers fly with United once or not at all in a year, United Airlines President Scott Kirby has said.

According to Jojo, the new app is keenly focused on transparency and helping alleviate travelers’ stress and anxiety by providing them with useful information without overwhelming them.

Read more: We flew Aer Lingus from Dublin to New York to see if it’s a hidden gem among Europe’s best airlines. Here’s the verdict.

One feature of the app is groundbreaking: the flight-delay notification.

From the outside, it might not seem particularly interesting, but seeing it in action is pretty impressive.

The apps of almost all major airlines will tell you if your flight has been delayed or your gate has changed. But United’s app takes things one step further.

It explains to travelers why there’s a delay and what’s being done to rectify the situation. For example, United’s app could tell you not only how much a delay is likely to affect your arrival time, but where your plane is and why it’s being held up.

This notification feature, which was available last year at a few United Airlines hubs around the US, is now available across United’s network.

Denver Weather Summary: 35 degrees

The incident happened before takeoff on New Year’s Day. A video of what occurred was recorded by Norma Rodgers, an oncology nurse who was seated next to the fat-shamer, and went viral in recent days.

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