United will now hold planes for connecting flyers – thanks to new tool

If you have a tight connection while flying United, you might benefit from the airline's new ConnectionSaver tool that identifies departing flights that can be held for connecting customers. In February, United launched the ConnectionSaver tool at Denver International Airport and then expanded to Chicago O'Hare International Airport – two of the airline's busiest hubs. United announced Monday it plans to expand the ConnectionSaver technology to other airports that United services in the future. Connecting customers receive personalized text messages from ConnectionSaver with directions to the gate for their connecting flight; information about expected travel time between the two gates; and nearby amenities. In a Twitter video posted by United, there is an example of a flight docked at gate B23 at Chicago O'Hare, with passengers shown successfully making a connecting flight at gate C20 to Narita, Japan. The video explains that ConnectionSaver helped make the transfer. According to United, during the past four months, over 14,400 customers who had connecting flights were able to make their flights thanks to ConnectionSaver. Flights that were held for connecting customers were delayed an average of six minutes. <br/>