United pilots new bag-transfer program in San Francisco

Metro Loud
5 Min Read


Say goodbye to one of many greatest hassles of worldwide journey — that’s, in the event you’re on the fitting flight.

United Airways simply turned the newest U.S. provider to launch a significant time-saving program for vacationers flying into the U.S. after which making a connection. As a part of the brand new setup, passengers who fly United from Sydney Airport (SYD) to San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) will not need to recheck their baggage earlier than racing to their subsequent gate.

It is a trial program that would save passengers as a lot as 45 minutes after a protracted flight.

Bag-transfer initiative for connecting flyers

Generally, vacationers arriving within the U.S. from overseas have to attend for his or her baggage on the worldwide arrivals baggage claims after clearing passport management, after which recheck it earlier than heading to their connecting flight. United’s new setup would eradicate that often-lengthy step.

As a substitute, passengers beginning their journey at SYD after which connecting by way of SFO would see their baggage transferred proper to their subsequent aircraft, identical to on a home connection.

“We’re streamlining the worldwide arrival course of by eliminating further steps for vacationers to choose up and re-check their baggage on connecting flights,” mentioned Jennifer Schwierzke, United vp of buyer operations technique and execution, in an announcement saying the information.

Associated: 10 methods to get by way of airport safety sooner

Polaris seats on a United Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

From the outset, this program might be fairly restricted, making use of solely to vacationers whose journey begins with a SYD-SFO flight. However United hopes to broaden this selection to extra worldwide routes “within the months forward,” the Chicago-based provider mentioned Monday.

New methods to save lots of time on the airport

United is the third main U.S. airline to launch an revolutionary, time-saving initiative for flyers touring again to the U.S. in 2025. American Airways launched an analogous bag-transfer initiative this spring for passengers flying from SYD by way of its Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) hub. Delta Air Strains not too long ago did the identical for passengers touring from Incheon Worldwide Airport (ICN) in Seoul, South Korea, by way of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL).

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And this summer season, American and Delta (and their companions) each started permitting passengers flying from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) by way of each ATL and Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW) to skip the safety recheck — one other time-consuming course of vacationers face when making a connection after a global flight.

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CBP Global Entry
SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Airways are partnering with the Transportation Safety Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Safety on these new streamlined safety applications.

These initiatives are made attainable by know-how that enables officers within the U.S. to remotely overview baggage pictures first captured when passengers go by way of safety checkpoints at sure worldwide airports with comparable protocols because the U.S. — thus far in Sydney, Seoul and London.

This is a full rundown of the brand new “one-stop safety” and “worldwide distant baggage screening” applications now in place:

Airline and route Connecting passengers’ baggage switch proper to subsequent flight Connecting passengers allowed to skip TSA safety recheck
American Airways, LHR-DFW
American Airways, SYD-LAX
Delta Air Strains and Virgin Atlantic, LHR-ATL
Delta Air Strains, ICN-ATL
United Airways, SYD-LAX

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