United Airlines will perform a planned technology upgrade on Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 1:30–5:00 AM CST that will take many web and mobile services offline for customers and employees. The work involves migrating reservation data for the Shares system from a North Carolina data center to a new facility in Chicago; United says the transfer has been rehearsed and should improve reliability. The airline removed early-morning departures during the maintenance window and urges customers to book, check in, or make itinerary changes outside the 1:30–5:00 AM CST window.
United Airlines Schedules Planned Systems Outage Feb. 4 — Online Services Down 1:30–5:00 AM CST
United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft taken in September 2024Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty
United Airlines will temporarily take many online systems offline for a planned technology upgrade early on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The carrier says the maintenance window will run from 1:30 to 5:00 AM Central Standard Time and will affect web and mobile services for customers and employees.
What Will Be Unavailable
An alert posted on United’s website warns that numerous functions on United.com and the mobile app will not be available during the maintenance window. That includes the ability to complete bookings, check in, and make trip changes while the upgrade is in progress.
United kioskYadira Hernandez-Pico/Bloomberg via Gett
“We’re conducting a planned technology upgrade on Wednesday, February 4 from 1:30 - 5:00 AM CST and many of our web and app services will NOT be available for anyone during that time, including United employees.”
Why the Upgrade Is Happening
According to reports and United statements, the work involves migrating the airline’s Shares reservation data from its existing data center in North Carolina to a higher-tech facility in Chicago. United and outside reporting say the migration has been rehearsed and is intended to improve system reliability.
Operational Steps and Customer Impact
To reduce disruption, United has removed early-morning departures during the maintenance window and adjusted the Feb. 4 schedule so technicians can complete the transfer with fewer operational risks. The airline urges customers traveling within or near the window to check in early and finalize any bookings or itinerary changes before 1:30 AM CST on Feb. 4.
United Airlines planeNicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty
Traveler Tips
Before the outage: Book or change flights and complete check-in before 1:30 AM CST on Feb. 4. Save or print boarding passes if you prefer a hard copy.
During the outage: Expect limited access to United.com and the mobile app; airport kiosks and gate agents will continue to support travelers in person.
After the outage: Services should resume once the upgrade is finished; United says it has rehearsed the migration and expects the transition to go smoothly.
For the latest details, travelers should monitor United’s official communications and contact customer service if they have concerns about a specific flight.
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