American Airlines testing new boarding system: ‘5 people got punted out of line’
American Airlines is implementing a new system to ensure passengers don’t board early.
The airline has been piloting a system that will audibly flag when someone tries to board before their designated boarding group has been called.
“We are in the early phase of testing new technology used during the boarding process,” an American Airlines spokesperson said in a statement to the Washington Post.
Passengers who try to board early will hear a sound when they scan their boarding pass and the gate agent will be shown a message with the correct group.
“The new technology is designed to ensure customers receive the benefits of priority boarding with ease and helps improve the boarding experience by providing greater visibility into boarding progress for our team,” the rep explained.
The new system is currently being tested at Albuquerque International Sunport Airport (ABQ) and the Tucson International Airport (TUS) with plans to soon expand to other locations like the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
So far, American Airlines said they have been pleased with the outcome of the test.
On Reddit, one traveler documented hearing an “error beep” and witnessing passengers being told to “please step aside.”
“I saw this in action yesterday,” one commenter added. “It was great. I saw about 5 people get punted out of line for trying to board before their group was called. About time!”
Travelers tend to jump ahead with boarding out of a tendency of conformity and a sense of competition, experts in human behavior explain, per WaPo. Airline employees often refer to these people as “gate lice.”
American Airlines typically prioritizes passengers with status on the airline for boarding as well as those who paid for seats at the front of the plane. Those who pay for priority boarding are in group 4 and main cabin passengers board in groups 7 and 8. The lowest-priced basic economy group boards last.
The trial has been met with positive feedback and hasn’t slowed down the boarding process, Gary Leff wrote for View From the Wing.
“Gate agents are busy and don’t always look at boarding groups when people scan their boarding passes,” he wrote. “This is simple, yet genius.”
He noted that it is still possible to board with a group number that hasn’t been called yet depending on the situation. For example, if you are in a different boarding group than a family member, you can ask the agent before scanning or explain after the sound, and the agent has the ability to clear the flag and allow you to board.
“I generally like this, although I worry about agents having the discretion on whether to make an exception – you’ll get some who refuse to do it when they should,” Leff wrote.
“But overall it seems positive, because once passengers start seeing early boarders rejected, they’ll learn to stop doing it.”
Leff noted to WaPo that airlines might do something like this to encourage fliers to earn frequent-flier status or sign up for their credit card, but in general, his readers were in favor of the new boarding procedure.
“There’s very little pushback to the idea that people ought to board in their assigned order,” he said. “There is frustration from passengers when others don’t follow that norm.”
Gov. Cuomo says all travelers must get tested for COVID-19
Air New Zealand asks to weigh passengers flying internationally
I have a ‘killer’ trick to quiet noisy flyers — people say it’s ‘genius’
About The Author
