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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

United Airlines vs Booking.com

United Airlines 4.8★ · Free to download 55
Winner Booking.com
Booking.com 4.8★ · Free to download 65

Booking.com has an edge for general travel booking due to its wide selection and ease of use, while United Airlines is a necessary app for United flyers, despite its numerous functional issues.

Full reviews: United Airlines · Booking.com

Booking.com is praised for its ease of use in finding deals and managing hotel stays, though it faces significant criticism regarding customer service and issues with misrepresentation and hidden fees. United Airlines' app is convenient for managing flights and check-ins, but users frequently report bugs, slow performance, and frustrating customer service experiences.

Head to head

Features & Functionality tieR5R11R13R14
United Airlines United Airlines' app offers convenient features like booking trips, managing check-ins, and accessing boarding passes and in-flight Wi-Fi R14R45. Users appreciate its intuitive design and timely alerts R5. However, many report persistent issues such as slow loading, freezing, and crashing R19. Specific features like PlusPoints upgrades, passport scanning for minors, and bag tracking are cited as buggy or difficult to use R11R13. Some users also find the app's interface complicated and requiring too many clicks, especially for international travelers or those not logged in with a frequent flyer number R21R24.
Booking.com Booking.com is lauded for its ability to find great deals on hotel stays, provide numerous booking options, and offer free cancellation . Users find it easy to use for booking rooms, flights, and other extras . However, the app has significant functional flaws, including a problematic 'favorites' feature that creates new lists for every town . More critically, users report issues with double bookings, unhonored 'insurance' for car rentals, and misleading pricing that doesn't include final fees or foreign transaction fees R63R81R83. Some users also experience difficulties with customer support within the app, such as verification loops .
Ease of Use edge: Booking.comR5R8R21R24
United Airlines Many United Airlines users find the app easy and intuitive for check-in and general navigation R5R8R26. They appreciate its clear instructions and user-friendly interface . However, a significant number of reviews describe the app as complicated, non-intuitive, and requiring too many clicks R21. Specific complaints include difficulty finding boarding passes, issues with logging out frequently, and problems with specific features like seat changes or sending boarding passes to others R24.
Booking.com Booking.com is widely praised for being easy to use and navigate, with many users calling it 'simple' and 'friendly' . Users appreciate the straightforward process for finding and booking accommodations . However, some users encounter difficulties with specific functionalities, such as the 'favorites' feature , and the process for waiving cancellations can be very difficult .
Reliability & Performance edge: United AirlinesR7R19R22R26
United Airlines United Airlines' app receives mixed reviews on reliability. While some users find it solid and working most of the time R26, many report frequent crashes, freezing, and slow performance R19R22. Issues include updates hanging, features not loading, and boarding passes disappearing R22. There are also reports of inconsistencies between Android and Apple devices, with more glitches on Apple R7.
Booking.com Booking.com's reliability is a major concern for many users. There are numerous reports of confirmed bookings being cancelled by hosts, sometimes on the day of arrival . Users also experience double bookings and rooms not being available upon arrival, leading to significant inconvenience and lack of refunds . Furthermore, some listings are described as fraudulent or misrepresented, with properties being unsafe or non-existent . The app is also criticized for debiting accounts earlier than agreed .
Customer Service & Support edge: United AirlinesR1R2R16R23
United Airlines Customer service for United Airlines receives highly polarized reviews. Some users praise specific representatives for excellent assistance with flight changes, check-ins, and accommodations R2R23. However, a significant number report poor customer service, difficulty navigating AI and offshore call centers, and unhelpful agents R1R16. Issues include problems rebooking cancelled flights through the app and finding agent contact information .
Booking.com Booking.com faces widespread criticism for its customer service. Many users describe it as 'terrible,' 'rude,' 'non-existent,' and unhelpful R77R93R99. Complaints include agents hanging up, refusing refunds for cancelled flights due to natural disasters, and failing to resolve issues like double charges or fraudulent listings R77R91R93R99. While some users report positive experiences with problems being solved right away , these are outnumbered by negative accounts.
Price & Value tieR1R44R50R56
United Airlines United Airlines users express frustration with pricing practices, feeling 'nickel and dimed' at every opportunity R44. Specific complaints include high baggage fees, with one user reporting $110 for two standard bags R56. There are also instances of paying extra for specific seating arrangements that are not honored R1R50.
Booking.com Booking.com is often praised for offering 'best prices' and 'great deals' on hotels . However, many users report issues with misleading pricing. Prices shown in the app often do not include final fees, taxes, or resort fees, leading to unexpected charges upon arrival R63R79. A significant number of users also complain about being charged foreign transaction fees without warning, despite prices being displayed in US dollars R81R83. There are also reports of being double-charged for reservations R91.
Pick United Airlines if

you primarily fly United Airlines and need to manage your bookings, check-ins, and boarding passes directly with the airline R14R45.

Pick Booking.com if

you are looking for a wide selection of accommodations and good deals, and prioritize an easy-to-use interface for initial booking .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative reviews, often highlighting critical issues. For United Airlines, these relate to app stability and customer service during disruptions. For Booking.com, the issues are more about misleading pricing, unreliable bookings, and poor customer support for resolving problems.

Frequently asked

How reliable is the United Airlines app for managing flights?
The United Airlines app is generally convenient for booking and managing trips, check-ins, and boarding passes R14R45, but many users report it can be unreliable, frequently crashing, freezing, or being slow, especially after updates R19R22.
Does Booking.com have good customer service?
Booking.com's customer service receives widespread negative feedback, with many users describing it as 'terrible,' 'rude,' and 'non-existent' when trying to resolve issues like double charges, fraudulent listings, or unhonored refunds R77R91R93R99.
Are there hidden fees when booking with Booking.com?
Yes, many Booking.com users report hidden fees, with prices shown in the app not including final taxes, resort fees, or foreign transaction fees, leading to unexpected charges R63R79R81R83.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R5] United Airlines 5/5 · US Check In Process: Using the app was easy and intuitive.
  2. [R11] United Airlines 4/5 · US Scanning passports for minors: Everything went smooth except for scanning my kids passports for early check in
  3. [R13] United Airlines 1/5 · US Plus points upgrade not working: The app has a persistent issue with PlusPoints upgrade requests. For at least the past two weeks, that feature hasn’t worked at all. We’ve tried multiple devices, different networks, and even in different countries, but every time we attempt to request a PlusPoints upgrade, the app just spins indefinitely and never completes the request. Everything else seems to wo
  4. [R14] United Airlines 5/5 · US Super convenient app for booking and managing trips: Love the latest version of the app. It is so much modern and cleaner UI wise. I use the app for booking trips, managing check-in’s and activities on the day of travel like boarding passes and inflight wifi.
  5. [R8] United Airlines 5/5 · US The best: Made my life easier
  6. [R21] United Airlines 3/5 · GB Complicated: Compared to European airline apps this is unnecessarily complicated. Imagine all users are on phones not PCs, reduce the options available and clicks required.
  7. [R24] United Airlines 3/5 · GB Almost useless: It starts by asking you to log in with either an email address or phone number, but rejects both and insists on your logging with a frequent flyer number - which I don’t have. Once you’ve got through these ridiculous barriers and continued as a guest it is then almost impossible to find ones boarding passes when required - I think this requires about six or seven steps - none of
  8. [R7] United Airlines 2/5 · US United and Apple don’t play well: I use both Android and Apple products, and when using the United app on my Apple devices I have nothing but problems. The app glitches and freezes when navigating to seat upgrades. The boarding pass defaults to the first flight of a trip even when selecting the second flight. When gates change it doesn’t show in the app but only on the Apple version. On android al
  9. [R19] United Airlines 1/5 · US Slow: The AP is slow and sometimes won’t load at all. I have yet to see a baggage benefit from my United Club membership so I likely won’t renew it. Free checked bags was how I justified the membership fee.
  10. [R22] United Airlines 2/5 · US Update hangs and does nothing: I updated the United app while waiting for my flight. Now it keeps hanging when I try to open anything past “flight status” or “home page”. I asked for a paper boarding pass printout to be sure to be able to board. I was looking forward to using StarLink on the flight.
  11. [R26] United Airlines 5/5 · US Solid and user friendly: I mostly hate apps. United’s is intuitive and works more most things, most of the time.
  12. [R1] United Airlines 1/5 · US Poor customer service cancelled flight.: I’ve never been more frustrated than I am with United Airlines. Here’s what happened: ✈️ Seattle → Chicago: We booked without checked bags, then paid to check them at the airport. Despite paying extra, we were assigned some of the worst seats on the plane, the row directly in front of the exit row. No reclining seats and noticeably less legroom than standa
  13. [R2] United Airlines 5/5 · US CHA to ORD: United makes it easy every time. Even after my cancellation with my family late at night. They did us right and got us going next morning.
  14. [R16] United Airlines 1/5 · US Bring Humans Back: It is difficult to navigate with AI and call centers off shores.
  15. [R23] United Airlines 5/5 · US Flight Change: We had to change our flight plans due to Super Typhoon Bavi and airport closures. We had no problems making the change. Excellent customer service. Thank you.
  16. [R44] United Airlines 1/5 · US Hate consumers: They hate their consumers and nickel and dime them at every opportunity
  17. [R50] United Airlines 1/5 · US Seating problem, paid extra $ to have my travel mate to sit w/ me and upon checking in in Nice not g: Doing ticket approaches I Paid extra dollar to have my Travel sit with me because I am disabled
  18. [R56] United Airlines 1/5 · US United Airlines Baggage Fees Outrageous: $110 for two bags (not oversized) is ridiculous.
  19. [R45] United Airlines 5/5 · US Good app:  Super easy and accessible. Found everything. I needed easily and prepaid for many things.
  20. [R77] Booking.com 1/5 · US Terrible rude customer service: I’ve been using booking for all my travel for several years and the representatives I spoke with today were some of the rudest, could not care less to accommodate or help at all. If I missed my flight and had to stay with my kids at an airport for several days, they would not have seemed to care at all to go one bit out of their way to attempt to not make that happe
  21. [R91] Booking.com 1/5 · US Double charged: I paid for my reservation through Booking.com, but the hotel charged me again when I checked in. I contacted Booking.com’s customer support right away, and they were unable to resolve the issue or offer any real assistance. Being charged twice for the same reservation is unacceptable. This has been a very frustrating experience, and I expected much better customer service.
  22. [R93] Booking.com 1/5 · US Foreign Scammers: This company has horrible customer service. They charged me a $50 damage deposit, fully refundable. It’s been 16 days and I haven’t received my money back. Hotel says contact booking. Booking has hung up on me twice.
  23. [R99] Booking.com 1/5 · US No customer service: Worst customer service ever
  24. [R63] Booking.com 3/5 · US Convenient if you avoid the sinister scammy parts: If you book a vehicle, it includes “insurance.” This is Booking.com’s “service” and it entirely independent from the rental company. This “insurance” is not usually honored and requires a police report. you are essentially wasting your money and will need to buy insurance again with the actual company. Additionally, the prices they show do not inc
  25. [R79] Booking.com 1/5 · US Not with it book direct: When looking for a place to stay in Las Vegas I shopped booking. The rate seemed fair so I took the risk of not booking direct and go with booking. Upon arrival to the hotel I realized I made a bad choice when the hotel charged me 150 for cleaning. During my 2 night stay not once did palms place give us fresh towels or clean our room. I would never recommend booking or pal
  26. [R81] Booking.com 1/5 · US Got charged Foran transaction fees for the prices shown in the US dollars?: I recently made multiple bookings for hotels and day trips using Booking.com all the prices were shown in the US dollars. With no warning or indication that my credit card will be charged in a Foreign currency now I have close $200 in foreign transaction fees. I have other credit cards that do not charge for transaction fe
  27. [R83] Booking.com 1/5 · US Misleading! Be aware!: Shows the prices on the app in us dollars but charge you in euros. Customer service is non existent .

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store