United trials new program to make early morning flights less stressful

A morning flight means getting at the airport even earlier to check in your luggage, but a new United Airlines program may help you get some extra sleep.

United began trialing its initiative called Twilight Bag Drop at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) at the end of March, giving passengers on select flights before 10 a.m. the option to check their bags curbside the night before.

The service is meant to streamline the check in process on the day of departure. "Fly through the airport in the morning without stressing about bag drop, just head straight to security," the airline said in an email to eligible customers

United said the trial has been successful so far and plans to continue it at ORD. Nearly 1,600 bags have gone through the program since the launch, with "overwhelmingly positive" feedback from passengers, said the airline.

Only two airports currently offer Twilight Bag Drop: ORD and Guam International Airport. However, United said there's potential to expand to other hubs in the future.

How does United's new bag drop offering work?

ORD passengers who are eligible for the program are notified via an email the day before their departure. They add their checked bags to their flight details and pay online, then drop their bags at ORD's Terminal 1 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. The service is available every day of the week.

According to United's website, passengers flying from Guam can participate if their departure is before 9:30 a.m. They can check their bags between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. the night prior.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: United trials new program to make early morning flights less stressful

Reporting by Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 4, 2026 at 4:32 PM.