Use airline app or present paper documents upon check-in?

I'd suggest you do both.

The last time I flew United internationally was back in August, so things may have changed, but at that time United wouldn't issue me a boarding pass and wouldn't let me check in until I uploaded the required documents -- it was not negotiable. Ground staff have their hands full, things are crowded, everyone is stressed, and too many people arrive completely unprepared (and frankly, clueless and entitled, which makes headaches for everyone). It seems like a reasonable expectation to me that everyone follows instructions carefully and completely. I would prepare to do what they ask.

Often having things in electronic form makes everything go smoothly, but not always. Systems fail, wifi may be spotty, devices run out of juice, things go offline. So while it's wise to get everything done digitally, I would also always have paper copies of critical documents printed out with me, and digital copies of all docs with me and readily available on my phone, too. It's not too much of a burden and has eased things for me many times. I like having my bases covered and being ready for whatever surprise may be thrown at me. I'm happy to do what I can to reduce the friction and stress of getting through the formalities.

We had both for our Sept, 2021, trip, and found both modes to be needed in various situations. Sometimes we couldn't get a solid internet signal to pull up online forms. For American Airlines, the online VeriFly was a bear to work with, but once you FINALLY got your info loaded, check-in was much simpler. It also depends on how familiar the airline employees are with the various countries' tracker forms that you present, and if they can find their own pages to input.
SO- complete both! Good luck!

I'm having problems scanning my passport into United's app. Does anyone know how to download the passport (changed from "it") using their website? I can't find a link.

^^ not clear what you mean

Download the app? Upload passport to website?

Your Travel Ready section on United website should have all the info and links you need

Horsewoofie, it took us multiple tries to get our passports to upload. We kept looking for something to tap. Once the app, or the phone, or the gods decided that the image was good the phone vibrated and the image uploaded. Then a little airplane icon flew across the screen as the app decided if the image was good.
I think glare is the main culprit. When I moved away from a window the image uploaded. I also had my passport on a lighter background.
It's amazing how technology can feed superstition.

Thanks MusicMoll. That was most helpful.

Hi Betsey, I had everything uploaded when I went to Mexico last year, but I also brought printed copies just in case. I took screen shot photos on my phone of the QR code in case the wifi connection wouldn’t work, and actually the screen shot is what they scanned.

We recently returned from a Hawaii trip. We did the required QR documents ahead of time, but our CDC card would not load into the site. We brought everything to Maui, and the woman at the desk at entry also tried it a few times without success. Finally on about the 4th try, the card photo would load for her, and we were on our way.

I suggest both, just to cover all bases. When I checked with British Airways at the Rome airport recently, there was a line for those who had submitted electronic documents and a line for those who hadn't. The former line was shorter.

Both. United won't let you check-in without the upload. the app has a camera to take direct pictures of docs.

Thanks for your help everyone!

We are struggling with the Lufthansa app today. It won't save any of the data that we enter, or the data from the picture of our passport. Has anyone else had trouble with it?
Since Lufthansa is partnered with United and the mileage rewards are linked I'm surprised that the profile screens are not linked.

We uploaded all documents to the United app both coming and going. We had paper copies as well but they were never looked at by the airline. We printed the boarding passes at the airport. Our health pass was looked at in Costa Rica at border control.

When one airline's system has to "talk to" another's, sometimes stuff gets lost in translation. Sometimes there are complete disconnects. When things do work seamlessly between two airlines, thank your lucky stars, but don't expect that to happen all the time.

Some airline systems do not play nicely with others at all. While we would all enjoy it if everything meshed perfectly, that's not gonna happen in any of our lifetimes (I'm usually happy if one airline's system just works well by itself -- even that may be too much to hope for). These systems are full of REALLY ancient legacy code and have vast incompatibilities with other systems. It's a hot mess. Calibrate expectations and be glad when any of it works.

I'm currently attempting to upload my passport page with photo. It's just not happening. Finally, I Googled how to do it and found that the upload cannot be completed until no more than 24 hours before my flight! Nowhere does it say that on United's app, though. Just trying to confirm for those who managed to upload the photo that that is indeed the case.

We flew from Rome on American last week and Verifly was terrible. I hadn't previous enrolled in the app since we had been scheduled to come back on BA. While the passport and known traveler info was fine, I could not get the COVID test results to stick.

We went through the "long" checkout line and presented our COVID test results directly to the agent. It took a little longer but wasn't horrible. Every station had an agent and it moved quickly. The security check in has it's own charms.

Do what you can. If everything uploads successfully to the app, go for it.

It is, indeed, frustrating. Sorry for your experience. I've tried to upload the photo in the windowless bathroom with the light off, in the kitchen at the island with the lights on, etc. Guess I'll just have to wait six more days until it's 24 hours before our flight. I'd like to avoid whatever lines possible at the airport.

We flew United last Monday from Frankfurt to SFO. We had uploaded everything to their Travel Ready section of the app and had checkmarks for all tasks complete. We had taken screen shots of things like our Covid test results also, no paper copies. When we got to the airport there was someone directing people to one of 2 lines in Economy for checkin. Our Boarding Pass on the United app said Travel Ready ✔️above the QR code and when we showed him our phone he directed us to the line that had about 5 people in it rather than the line with >100. We needed to turn our bags in and then go to security. We also had to show our passport a few times but no other paperwork. I highly recommend completing everything in your airline’s pre boarding app if you can. It’s hard to believe that only 5 out of ~100 people that afternoon had the words Travel Ready and the ✔️ on their phones.

EDIT: It also helps to set up an account with any airline you are flying with. Our passport data and Global Entry/Trusted Traveler numbers are always stored in our profile.

I fly Delta.

I don't even bother with the useless app. I just present all paperwork

We just came back, flew Delta. The app never worked, we just showed all paperwork when we checked in. Lines moved pretty quickly.

I thought the United app worked extremely well.
Outbound: Upload passport, upload vaccine card, upload PLF, get boarding pass.
Inbound: confirm passport, upload covid test results (sync with Navic app), get boarding pass.
No fumbling with papers needed. It was never checked other then electronically.

The only hiccup we had was my husband's name has a suffix that does show up everywhere, so the system initially thought they did not match. United confirms all of your data, and it was solved. Good reminder to make sure your name matches everywhere (I don't believe the Navica app had a place for middle initials, and that may be what the issue was).

I always upload as much information as I can

And also take screen shots of QR Codes and Reservations

And include travel reservation info on Tripit.com (I love this app - last time I looked, PDF upload was limited)

And save pdf of everything to a cloud file

And save pdf to Evernote folder

And print out documents with 1 set for me and another for Carol

How did you know I'm an engineer and used to do backups for Chevron?

Ira Serkes

Unless you are checking a bag or something goes wrong with your document upload to the app, you won't need to present paperwork or physically see a gate agent at check in. Why stand in line at the airport for something you can easily do from the app? Check in on the app and go straight to TSA.

I truly want to have everything on the United App. It's just that my photo won't upload. I was able to upload all other flight-ready requirements on the app. Certain websites say that it won't upload before 24 hours of my flight, but those aren't official United Airlines statements. I'd like to check the veracity of that here. Anyone able to upload their passport photo earlier than 24 hours pre-flight?

I uploaded my passport to the United app a few weeks ago (several weeks before our trip, which hasn't happened yet) ... but then I was unable to upload my daughter's. There was no indication as to why one worked and the other didn't. I just figured I'd try again closer to the travel date, in case they changed something in the meantime.

I flew Lufthansa and I uploaded all of my documents during the 72 hour window. Received email confirmation all documents accepted.
Did the same for return to US. m My covid test result and vaccine card.

In Munich, my connection, they did not ask me for any documents. They asked other passengers, assuming they didn’t upload theirs.
No one asked for my CdC aggregation that was “required”

Just flew United to US from UK two days ago. Uploaded everything and only needed to show boarding pass and passport as I was boarding plane. Uploading the passport was a huge pain! The numbers at bottom of passport had to be aligned inside the smaller box. Somehow couldn't view boarding pass in app and had to get it from website. Super annoying experience.

An advantage to using the airline app and uploading to documents to it is you won’t have to show the documents at the check in counter. More importantly, it will allow you to check in online. If you don’t have a reserved seat, you may get a better seat choice than if you waited to check in at the airport. United’s Travel Ready Center is easy to use and confirmation of uploaded documents is almost instantaneous.

My husband and I are now "Travel Ready" on United. The key is uploading the passport no sooner than 72 hours before the flight, otherwise, they won't upload it. Thanks for the help and suggestions here.