There will soon be another new travel rule that domestic flyers will have to keep in mind before heading to the airport.
Starting on June 3, United Airlines will require all domestic passengers to check in for their flights at least 45 minutes before departure. Domestic travelers who fail to check in on time could be denied checking their bags or be forced to miss their flights.
“The change brings greater consistency for our customers by aligning with our current checked baggage deadline and the check-in policies followed by most other airlines,” a United Airlines spokesperson said in a statement to Yahoo News.
While it’s standard for airlines and airports to recommend travelers arrive at least two hours before their departure time for flights within the U.S., some people don’t want to sit and wait in airports, hence the creation of TikTok’s “airport theory” trend from early 2025 where people filmed themselves arriving to the airport 15 to 20 minutes before their flight.
What’s changing in United Airlines’ check-in process?
The check-in cutoff time is now 45 minutes before departure, rather than 30 minutes. This rule applies to passengers with and without checked baggage; those traveling internationally are required to check in at least 60 minutes before departure.
Otherwise, most of the process remains the same. Travelers can check in for their flights 24 hours in advance either online, on the United app or at an airport kiosk. For U.S. flights, United recommends travelers arrive at their gate 15 minutes before boarding starts. Passengers must be on the plane 15 minutes before departure.
What happens if travelers don’t check in on time?
According to the United website, if travelers don’t meet the check-in time limits, United employees will “do our best to find another option.”
However, United also notes that its employees have the right to deny service, which could result in canceling flight reservations, denying boarding or the option to check bags.
Delta Airlines implemented a similar rule earlier this year
In April, Delta announced that, for most airports, if a traveler is flying domestically and checking a bag, they must check in at least 45 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
However, if passengers are not planning to check their bags for a domestic flight, they can check in 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. (Some airports with Delta terminals, however, do require passengers without checked bags to check in at least 45 minutes before departure.)
