United App Now Shows TSA Security Lines — What Travelers Need To Know

United Airlines just added a new feature to its mobile app: a TSA wait time checker. In short, this feature lets you check how long you can expect to wait to clear security at its hub airports — something important, given that the partial government shutdown has led to long security lines, often stretching well over an hour.

This new feature will show wait times for both standard and TSA PreCheck security lanes at all United hub airports. Here’s how the feature works and why you might want to use it the next time you fly with the Chicago-based airline.

United Adds Security Wait Time Tracker to Its Mobile App

Under the “Travel” section of the United app, travelers can now view security wait times for United’s hubs in Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington Dulles (IAD). As mentioned, the app will display wait times for both standard and TSA PreCheck security lines.

You’ll see wait times in the app on days when you’re traveling with United. Just pull up your trip in the Travel section of the app, and you’ll see up-to-date wait times for your departure airport. If you’re a TSA PreCheck member, you can toggle to compare these expedited lines to the standard wait times.

This is an important addition to the United app, given that security lines at major airports are longer than usual thanks to the U.S. government’s partial government shutdown. This left TSA agents unpaid for weeks as the federal government negotiated a funding package, resulting in high callouts and resignations.

While many TSA agents began receiving back pay earlier this week — after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to compensate them for wages owed — the partial government shutdown isn’t over yet. As a result, many see this as a temporary fix for the country’s travel woes, and uncertainty persists over whether TSA workers will continue to receive regular paychecks as the funding standoff drags on.

Because of this, checking wait times in the United app can help you plan your trip to the airport if wait times rise again. If wait times are long, consider arriving earlier than usual to avoid missing your flight. Even beyond the current government shutdown, this feature can be useful during holiday and summer travel when wait times are longer than usual.

It’s worth noting that you can check TSA security wait times without the United app. The free MyTSA app from the TSA shows security wait times at major U.S. airports, along with other information such as current FAA delays and whether TSA PreCheck lines are open.

Final Thoughts

It’s great to see United add a security wait time tracker to its app. This can be helpful during government shutdowns, holiday travel, and other times when airport security wait times are longer than usual. You’ll find security wait times in the Travel section of the app when you travel from United hubs.