United has been teasing its upcoming full redesign at various travel conferences for the past year while simultaneously releasing the early design to a small audience of elite flyers for private beta testing. Now the airline has finally released the new look to the public.
It features a familiar card-based design reminiscent of Windows which allows it to easily port between device types while ensuring a consistent look and feel with a touch-friendly interface across devices.
The website is far easier on the eyes and will finally catch up to the likes of Delta and American, two airlines that underwent significant redesigns to move their digital experiences forward into the mobile age. Each of these sites is marked by a simplification of design and a straightforward modernism — something that United has also embraced.
One of the most exciting features for any regular United flyer is the integration of the seat map within the search interface. This allows a quick and easy overview of available seating as part of the flight search process, in addition to more clear information about the route's aircraft.
Sliders for duration, arrival time, layover time, connecting airports and amenities all make for a much quicker and user-friendly experience so travelers can find the flights they need. The addition of a Wi-Fi toggle will be a boon to business travelers who must select flights according to connectivity.
The airline will also surface upgrade availability so that travelers can easily see what upgrades are available, as well as purchase an upgrade at that point in the purchase process.
Another frequent flyer favorite will be the redesign of the homepage to include customizable widgets that will show upcoming trips, flight status and frequent flyer information all in one place. Previously, this information had been hidden across a few locations without a central dashboard for ease-of-use.
For United, this redesign has become mission critical as its competition rapidly evolved past antiquated visual designs. United's site receives 2,000 visitors per minute who book over $1 million in revenue per hour with flights on over 100 international partner carriers — safely and successfully upgrading these experiences is not easy. The site is currently live for public interaction at beta.united.com.