United Airlines is testing a digital tracker for airport security wait times after the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown snarled lines at major airports across the country.
Touting the tool as the “first of its kind” from a major U.S. airline, United added the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wait times tracker to its mobile app on Wednesday (April 1). It’s currently available for seven pilot locations, including Dulles International Airport.
“As part of a new pilot program, the feature provides regular wait time updates throughout the day, giving travelers timely information on airport security lines and helping them plan their travel with confidence,” United said in a press release announcing the launch.
United is the largest carrier at Dulles, where it will further expand its presence later this year with the opening of a new concourse. The tracker also rolled out to passengers traveling through the airline’s hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark and San Francisco.
“We appreciate the work and professionalism of our TSA agents, and while most began receiving back pay earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues and people want to stay informed about expected security wait times at our airports,” United Chief Information Officer Jason Birnbaum said. “Our customers rely on our mobile app for all their travel needs, and this new feature lets them know what to expect and better plan their trip.”
Security lines reportedly reached historic lengths last month, with travelers waiting as long as four hours or more at some airports, as Congress deadlocked on a DHS budget, triggering a shutdown on Feb. 14 that has affected the TSA, Federal Emergency Management Agency and federal immigration agencies, among others.
TSA agents were among the employees required to continue working without pay, leading more than 450 agents to quit and many others to call out from work.
Lines appeared to begin clearing this week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order telling DHS to give TSA officers their missed pay from funding appropriated under last year’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
TSA workers told union leadership Monday that they received some — but not all — of their back pay, according to Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the TSA chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees. He said the rest is expected by next week. Some employees also reported incorrect backpay amounts, including missing overtime, the union said.
Trump said in a social media post yesterday (Thursday) that he plans to sign another order paying all DHS employees who have gone without pay during the partial government shutdown, which has now stretched a record-long 49 days.
It’s unclear how the order will work, given that only Congress has the appropriations powers, but it’s expected to apply to other non-law enforcement employees at the department, including many employees at FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard and the agency responsible for coordinating federal cybersecurity efforts.
Congress, however, has yet to reach a deal after House Republicans declined to take up a bipartisan Senate proposal that would fund DHS with the exception of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol. Democratic leaders have demanded that any ICE and CBP funding include conditions, such as prohibitions on masks and arrests at hospitals, intended to curtail abuses of power.
Many in the GOP conference have taken the stand that ICE and the Border Patrol need to be included as part of any funding agreement.
A budget package that Trump wants voted on by June 1 is expected to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the remainder of Trump’s term, as a way to try to ensure those agencies are no longer at risk from Democrats objecting to his immigration enforcement agenda.
The House and Senate both met briefly yesterday, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) put aside a proposal from House Republicans that would fully fund DHS for 60 days, while the House took no action on the Senate plan, though Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) indicated on Wednesday that he’s now open to a “two-step” approach.
House Republicans held a conference call later Thursday to discuss the next steps. The GOP leadership indicated to lawmakers that it does not expect to recall them to Washington from their spring recess; they are due back April 14.
United Airlines also announced today (Friday) that it’s implementing a new tiered fare structure for premium seating and that the fee for a checked bag will increase by $10 for most passengers.
With the war in the Middle East driving up jet fuel costs, customers traveling in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Latin America will now pay $45 for their first piece of luggage and $55 for their second bag, according to United.
“This is the first time in two years the airline has raised bag fees,” United said in a statement.
Some passengers will still receive a free first checked bag, including co-branded credit card holders, certain loyalty-tier members, active military personnel and travelers in premium cabins. Customers who check bags less than 24 hours before departure will pay an additional $5.
