United Airlines Partners With U.s. Customs And Border Protection Cbp To Eliminate Bag Re-check, Offering Travelers Seamless, Quick, And Hassle-free Global Connections

Published on September 29, 2025

United Airlines has unveiled a groundbreaking inaugural successful business pinch U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) designed to make world connections smoother for passengers pinch checked baggage. The airline’s caller International Remote Baggage Screening (IRBS) programme allows travelers to bypass nan often time-consuming measurement of picking up and re-checking bags erstwhile connecting done U.S. airports connected prime world flights. Initially launched connected United’s regular work from Sydney, Australia (SYD) to San Francisco, California (SFO), nan programme promises to importantly streamline nan recreation acquisition for thousands of customers.

A Faster, Stress-Free Connection Experience

Traditionally, world travelers arriving successful nan U.S. pinch connecting flights are required to cod their checked luggage upon arrival, clear customs and immigration, and past re-check their bags for nan onward limb of their journey. This measurement tin adhd sizeable clip and stress, particularly during tight connections. United’s caller IRBS process changes that.

Since nan program’s launch, much than 160 passengers per formation person opted to usage IRBS, redeeming up to 45 minutes connected their connecting journeys. For travelers, nan quality is substantial: nary longer needing to navigate crowded baggage claims and re-check counters, passengers tin move straight from customs to information and onward to their connecting flights.

How IRBS Works connected Sydney to San Francisco Flights

The process is elemental yet highly effective:

1. Check-in astatine Sydney Airport: Passengers driblet disconnected their checked baggage arsenic accustomed astatine nan United check-in counter. Bags are tagged to their last destination, conscionable arsenic successful nan modular process.
2. Arrival astatine San Francisco: Upon landing, connecting passengers proceed to CBP for customs, immigration, and agriculture inspections. Once cleared, travelers caput straight to nan Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for information screening. Crucially, they nary longer request to cod and re-check their baggage unless specifically directed by CBP for further inspection. United coordinates pinch CBP and TSA to guarantee that checked luggage is thoroughly screened and transferred onto connecting flights seamlessly.
3. Pick-up astatine Final Destination: Bags are delivered straight to nan baggage declare astatine nan passenger’s last U.S. destination, allowing travelers to proceed their travel without delays.

This streamlined attack reduces hold times, lowers nan consequence of missed connections, and enhances wide convenience for world passengers.

Industry Collaboration Enhances Efficiency

The motorboat of IRBS is nan consequence of adjacent collaboration among United Airlines, CBP, TSA, and cardinal baggage solution providers, including BagCheck and Brock Solutions. Sydney Airport has besides played a captious role, supporting nan program’s implementation and facilitating smoother rider flows astatine check-in and information checkpoints.

“We’re streamlining nan world presence process by eliminating other steps for travelers to prime up and re-check their bags connected connecting flights,” said Jennifer Schwierzke, United’s Vice President of Customer Operations Strategy and Execution. “Together pinch CBP, we’re testing this innovative process connected routes betwixt Sydney and San Francisco, and we scheme to grow to further world routes successful nan months ahead.”

Scott Charlton, CEO of Sydney Airport, echoed this enthusiasm. “It’s awesome to spot United Airlines trialing container re-check elimination connected nan Sydney–San Francisco route, 1 of our busiest long-haul services. This is simply a triumph for passengers – redeeming valuable time, simplifying connections, and demonstrating really Sydney Airport and our hose partners are moving together to present smoother, much seamless journeys.”

Benefits for Passengers and nan Airline Industry

The IRBS programme represents a awesome measurement guardant successful enhancing nan world recreation experience. By minimizing unnecessary baggage handling, passengers acquisition little accent and a faster transit done U.S. airports. For United, it intends much businesslike operations, reduced congestion astatine baggage declare areas, and higher customer restitution rates.

Travelers connected different world routes tin expect to use from IRBS arsenic United plans to grow nan programme successful phases. This inaugural reflects a broader manufacture inclination toward optimizing airdrome procedures, utilizing exertion and collaboration to make aerial recreation much convenient and predictable.

With world recreation steadily increasing, innovations for illustration IRBS not only prevention clip for passengers but besides show really airlines and authorities agencies tin activity together to modernize nan world recreation ecosystem. As United continues to refine and rotation retired this program, passengers flying into U.S. hubs from awesome world cities whitethorn soon bask smoother connections, shorter hold times, and a much relaxed commencement to their American journey.

Looking Ahead

United’s IRBS inaugural sets a caller modular for world connecting flights, combining efficiency, security, and convenience. By removing 1 of nan astir frustrating aspects of recreation – nan request to prime up and re-check bags – nan hose is creating a recreation acquisition that is faster, simpler, and much enjoyable. Passengers flying from Sydney to San Francisco are conscionable nan first to benefit, but nan airline’s plans to grow nan inaugural propose that world travelers crossed aggregate routes could soon bask nan aforesaid streamlined journey.