United Appears to Be Testing Free ‘Home Bag Pick-Up’ Service for Some Travelers

United Airlines may be experimenting with a new service that could let travelers skip the airport bag drop entirely.

A pop-up spotted during the online check-in process suggests the airline could soon offer home bag pick-up, allowing passengers to have their checked luggage collected the day before departure and sent to the airport for them. This free service could save passengers time, as they won’t need to wait in line at the airport.

Here’s what we know so far.

United May Let Travelers Send Bags to the Airport From Home

United appears to be testing a “Home Bag Pick-Up” service that would allow travelers to send their checked luggage to the airport the day before their flight, as first reported by Live and Let’s Fly.

Some travelers checking in for United flights departing Chicago (ORD) are seeing a pop-up advertising a “New FREE service” that lets passengers skip the bag-drop line entirely.

The check-in prompt asks passengers to enter their ZIP code and number of bags to determine eligibility, meaning the service may initially be limited to certain geographic areas — possibly just Chicago for now.

United has not publicly confirmed the program or shared details about how it would work. If the service moves forward, it would likely involve a logistics partner collecting luggage from a traveler’s home and transporting it to the airport ahead of departure. Passengers would then be able to go straight to security with their carry-on bag and avoid a stop at the bag drop. That means avoiding lines and lost time.

The airline already offers a separate baggage delivery option that sends checked luggage to a traveler’s home or hotel after they land. However, that service works in the opposite direction. Passengers still need to check their bags at the airport before their flight.

We reached out to United to ask whether the service will expand beyond Chicago or which travelers may qualify but did not receive a response as of the time of writing. After publication, United replied confirming this option is being shown to a limited number of customers as part of a pilot to gauge interest and help the airline decide whether to truly offer this service in the future.

Final Thoughts

If United ends up launching this service more widely, it could make the airport experience a little smoother — especially for travelers who’d rather skip the bag-drop line entirely.

For now, though, details are limited, and it’s unclear how broadly the service will be offered. Once United shares more information, we’ll update this article with the latest.

If nothing else, watch for it on your next flight out of O’Hare.