United Airlines

General   |   Contact Info   |   Baggage Info   |   Traveling with Children   |   Traveling with Pets

Baggage information

Checked baggage requirements differ for U.S./Canada travel and international travel.

U.S./Canada checked baggage for United Economy® travel
If you purchase ticket after January 14, 2010, you have to pay fee for first and second bag when you check in them at the airport.
First bag – 25 $ *
Second bag – 35 $ *
* Baggage fees are per person and for a single direction of travel. United offers a discount if you check your bags via EasyCheck-in Online® at united.com within 24 hours of your flight. The amount of the discount percentage is subject to change without notice.

Baggage fee exceptions
You are exempt from the above fees for checking your first two bags on flights operated by United, United Express and Star Alliance partner carriers if you are:

- traveling in United First® or United Business®;
- a Global ServicesSM, Mileage Plus 1K®, Premier Executive®, Premier® or Premier Associate® member;
- a Star Alliance® Gold or Silver member; or
- U.S. military personnel (or a dependent) who is either active or traveling on leave in conjunction with a permanent change of station (military ID required)

Oversized, overweight and excess baggage and special items
You may be subject to additional fees if:
- you check more than two bags;
- any of your bags weigh more than 50 lbs. (23 kg);
- any of your bags exceed 62 linear inches (158 linear cm)**; and/or
- any of your checked bags are considered special items.

Additional baggage information
• Each checked bag must have an external tag or label showing the name of the customer who checked it in.
• We recommend that you arrive at the airport 90 minutes prior to departure to complete the check-in process.
• Cut-off times for checking in baggage vary depending on the departure city. read more

International checked baggage
Passengers traveling internationally from the U.S. are required to check their baggage at least 45 minutes prior to flight departure time. For travel to the U.S. from international locations, baggage must be checked 60 minutes prior to departure.
For all United Economy® travel between the U.S. or Canada and several international destinations, a fee may now apply for your first and/or second checked bags.
Free baggage allowance, maximum weight and size per bag depends on the cabin class/program status and destination. Visit this page for more detailed information


Carry-on baggage policies
For worldwide travel on any United flight, you may carry on one bag and one personal item such as a purse, briefcase or laptop computer. Your carry-on bag...
- must fit under your seat or in the overhead bin;
- must not be more than 23 x 35 x 56 cm or 114 linear cm; and
- may be required to travel as checked baggage if the bag cannot be safely stowed on your flight.

The following personal items are not counted toward your one bag and one personal item limit:
Assistive devices (canes, crutches, etc.)
Child safety seats for ticketed children
Infant restraint devices (infant seat with or without stroller, front pouch or back carrier)
Outer garments (coats, hats, etc.)
Reading material (a reasonable amount)
Umbrellas (one per passenger)
Food and beverages to be consumed onboard
Please note that all items must be stowed in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you. They may not be stowed in the seat back pocket.

For additional information about carry-on guidelines, read more


Liquids, gels and/or aerosols are permitted through security checkpoints worldwide. Items must fit in one clear, resealable quart- or liter-sized plastic bag, in containers of 3 oz. (100 mL) or less.

Plastic bags must be completely sealed and will be x-rayed separately at the security checkpoint.

The following items are allowed but must be presented to officials at security checkpoints if they are of greater volume than 3 oz. (100 mL):

- Baby formula/milk, including breast milk and baby food in containers. You do not have to be traveling with a baby or small child for these items to be allowed.
- Medications (liquid, gel or aerosol)
- Liquids, juices or gels for diabetic passengers who indicate a need for such items to address their medical condition. (A letter from your physician is not necessary.)
- Liquids, gels and/or aerosols (including duty-free items) purchased in the boarding area are permitted onboard the aircraft.

Additional location-specific regulations read more

Oversized, overweight and excess baggage
Any checked baggage item may be assessed a fee if it is over certain weight or size limits, or if it is in excess of your normal baggage allowance.

Oversized baggage
Any checked bag with a single dimension more than 62 inches (158 cm) will not be accepted.
Any checked bag that is more than 115 linear inches (292 linear cm) will not be accepted.
Oversized baggage charges are applied in addition to any charges that may be assessed for overweight and/or excess baggage.
Fees for oversized baggage must be paid at the airport check-in counter and may not be paid online.

Overweight baggage
Any bag weighing more than 100 pounds (45 kg) will not be accepted as checked baggage.
Overweight baggage charges are applied in addition to any charges that may be assessed for oversized and/or excess baggage.
Fees for overweight baggage must be paid at the airport check-in counter and may not be paid online.

Excess baggage charges are applied in addition to any charges that may be assessed for overweight and/or oversized baggage.

Children information

Unaccompanied minor service is offered for children from 5 to 17 years of age. For the safety of minors traveling alone, unaccompanied minor service is available to ensure that your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and turned over to the appropriate person upon arrival at their final destination.
The service is mandatory for unaccompanied children 5 to 11 years old and optional for those 12 to 17 years old. If the child is traveling with unaccompanied minor service, he or she may not travel on the last direct or connecting flight of the day. Please notify us of your child’s unaccompanied minor status at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) when making your reservation, so necessary information can be noted for your child.

The fee for unaccompanied minor service is $99 USD each way (except to or from Brazil, where no fee applies). Two or more children who are traveling together will be assessed a single fee in each direction.

Travel rules for unaccompanied minors, by age group
When two or more unaccompanied minors are traveling together, the most restrictive age requirement will apply. For example, an 11-year-old traveling with a 6-year-old is subject to the travel rules for the 5 to 7 age group.

5 to 7 years
Children ages 5 to 7 may travel only on United flights that are nonstop or direct. (A direct flight makes a stop without a plane change.) They may not travel on connecting flights, but they may travel on the last nonstop flight of the day.

8 to 11 years
Children ages 8 to 11 may travel on United nonstop, direct and connecting flights. They may also travel unaccompanied on connecting flights to other airlines (if allowed based on the other airline’s unaccompanied minors policy). Children ages 8 to 11 are restricted from connecting to the last flight of the day, which includes the last direct flight of the day. An exception can be made for children connecting to and from international flights.

12 to 17 years - with unaccompanied minor service (optional on United flights)
Unaccompanied minor service is available, but not required, for this age group. If a child between the ages of 12 and 17 years will be using unaccompanied minor service, he or she will be accepted under the conditions specified for unaccompanied minors ages 8 to 11 years, and standard fees will apply.


12 to 17 years - without unaccompanied minor service
We strongly recommend that teens who are not using our unaccompanied minor service be confirmed on flights early in the day. Unanticipated delays or cancellations due to air traffic congestion or unexpected weather such as fog, snow or thunderstorms may disrupt flight schedules and result in missed connections. If delays result in travel being completed the following day, United may not be able to offer overnight accommodations, since many hotels will not accept minors aged 17 or younger.

Required paperwork
In addition to contacting United Reservations, you must provide an Unaccompanied Minor Request for Carriage form with the names, addresses and phone numbers of the responsible adults at the departure and arrival airports. This form must be presented at check-in and will travel with your child.

Pets

Traveling with pets
Your dog, cat or household bird (canary, finch or parakeet) may be accepted as carry on or checked baggage. Rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs may be accepted as checked baggage only. All options require advance reservations and are subject to a charge. For all other animals, including but not limited to parrots, cockatiels and ferrets, please contact United Cargo at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-UA-CARGO).

Advance arrangements do not guarantee that your animal will travel on a specific flight.  Airlines have the right to refuse carriage of any animal that demonstrates aggressive and/or violent behavior, looks  ill and the kennel is poor.

Restrictions applied to following breeds of dogs  from June 1st through September 30th of each year:
Boston Terrier
Boxer
English or French Bulldog
King Charles Spaniel
Lhasa Apso
Pug
Shar-Pei
Shih Tzu
This restriction does not apply to animals traveling with you in the cabin.
Tropical birds such as parrots are not allowed in the cabin.

All breed summer embargo for travel to/from Kuwait and Bahrain
Due to extreme heat, United Airlines will not accept any pets as checked baggage for travel to/from Kuwait (KWI) and Bahrain (BAH) from May 1 through September 30. Pets can be carried in the economy cabin only on international flights departing Kuwait. If the pet is carried in the cabin, the embargo time frame does not apply

Travel to/from Australia
Pets are not permitted to travel in the cabin or as checked baggage on flights to/from Australia (exceptions may be made for service dogs such as seeing-eye or guide dogs). Pets may only travel to/from Australia as manifested cargo. Passengers should visit  www.unitedcargo.com to learn more

Health documentation
Passengers are required to make sure all health and pet travel documents are current and compliant with local, state, federal and international entry requirements and regulations. The passenger will assume full responsibility for penalties assessed by agencies for non-compliance of pet health and entry requirements.

Carry-on
United will allow the following pets to travel with you in the cabin if they are small enough to fit and stay comfortably in a carrier under the seat in front of you:

- fully weaned dog or cat (minimum 6 months old, 1 per carrier);
- fully weaned puppies or kittens (minimum 8 weeks old, maximum 6 months old, maximum 2 per carrier); or
- domesticated household birds (canaries, finches and/or parakeets).
Your pet carrier will take the place of one carry-on item, and a fee will apply. Fees for Traveling with Pets

Your pet carrier may be either hard- or soft-sided and must prevent escape of your pet into the cabin. No part of the animal should protrude from the carrier, and the floor must be absorbent enough to retain liquids and solids. Ventilation must be adequate. Pet and customer well-being require restrictions on many aircraft. United Airlines may not be able to accommodate pets on some aircraft or routes, or in many United First and United Business cabins. To be brought on board, kennels may not exceed any of the following dimensions:

Hard-sided -   Maximum size (43x30x20 cm)
Soft-sided - Maximum size  (43x25x25 cm)

Checked baggage
Your dog or cat can ride in the pressurized and heated cargo compartment of the aircraft you are ticketed on. Pets traveling as checked baggage will be accepted at the airport check-in counter and delivered to the baggage claim area at your final destination. Please see our Kennels page for information about restrictions and requirements for pets traveling as checked baggage.

Unaccompanied pets
Animals traveling via our cargo system are accepted at the cargo facility and travel in the pressurized cargo compartments of our aircraft. Fees vary based on weight, size and destination. Extreme weather guidelines will apply, preventing cargo shipment of any live animal when the temperature is forecast to exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit at any point in the animal's journey.

Travel arrangements
If your pet will be traveling as carry-on or checked baggage, call United Reservations at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) to arrange for their travel. If your pet will be unaccompanied, contact United Cargo at 1-800-UA-CARGO or visit unitedcargo.com. If you wish to ship your pet as cargo in conjunction with your own United air travel, please contact United Cargo prior to making your air reservation.