Cutting in line? American Airlines' new boarding tech might stop you at
now over 100 airports
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[November 22, 2024] By
WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS
NEW YORK (AP) — Sneaking a little ahead of line to get on that plane
faster? American Airlines might stop you.
In an apparent effort to reduce the headaches caused by airport line
cutting, American has rolled out boarding technology that alerts gate
agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead
of their assigned group. This new software won't accept a boarding pass
before the group it's assigned to is called, so customers who get to the
gate prematurely will be asked to go back and wait their turn.
As of Wednesday, the airline announced, the technology is now being used
in more than 100 U.S. airports that American flies out of. The official
expansion arrives after successful tests in three of these locations —
Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National
Airport and Tucson International Airport.
The initial response from customers and American employees "has exceeded
our expectations," Julie Rath, American’s senior vice president of
airport operations, reservations and service recovery, said in a
statement. She added that the airline is “thrilled" to have the
technology up and running ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
American got lots of attention when it unveiled its gate-control testing
last month. Analysts say that isn't surprising.
It's no secret that line cutting in airports hits a nerve. Whether
intentional or not, just about every air traveler has witnessed it,
noted Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst with Atmosphere
Research Group. It can add to frustrations in what can already be a
tense environment, with particular anxiety around passengers wanting to
sit together or rushing for some overhead bin space.
Harteveldt doesn't see American's recent move as “shaming” customers who
cut the line. “What it is intended to do is bring order out of chaos,”
he said. "And I hope it will defuse any potential flare ups of anger
(from) people who simply think they're entitled to board out of turn
.... It’s just not fair."
Harteveldt added that he thinks this change will enhance the experiences
of both customers and gate agents. Others say more time will tell.
Seth Miller, editor and founder of air travel experience analysis site
PaxEx.aero, said he can see the benefits of more orderly and universal
gate-control enforcement, particularly for airlines. But he said he
isn't “100% convinced this is perfect for passengers" just yet.
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A passenger talks on the phone with American Airlines jets parked
behind him at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport in
Washington, Jan. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Families, for example, might be
booked on several different reservations across more than one group,
he said. Airlines typically have workarounds for that, and American
noted Wednesday that customers traveling with a companion in an
earlier group can simply have a gate agent “override the alert” to
continue boarding. Still, Miller said, “you have to go through the
extra hoops.”
And a difficult customer still might choose to hold up the line and
argue when they're not allowed to board, he added.
Another question is whether customers who encounter a beep will walk
away feeling embarrassed. But Harteveldt said he was happy to learn
that American's alert is “not a bellowing sound that can be heard
throughout the terminal,” or accompanied by your name read over a
loudspeaker, noting that this is important to avoid feelings of
shame.
Expanding this technology just a week before peak Thanksgiving
travel could be “both good and bad,” Harteveldt adds. On one hand,
the tech could help significantly improve the boarding process
during such a busy time, he said, but airport employees might also
have appreciated more time to prepare.
Both Miller and Harteveldt said they wouldn't be surprised if other
carriers soon follow American's lead. Headaches over airport line
cutting are far from new. While maybe not to the extent of
American's new tech, Miller noted he's seen gate agents from other
airlines ask people to leave a line and wait for their group.
Harteveldt added that he's been to some airports in Asia and Europe
with “sliding doors” that ensure passengers are in the right group
before boarding a plane.
The more than 100 airports that American is now using its
gate-control technology in are all spoke, or non-hub, locations —
including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The airline says
it expects to further expand to its hubs and other airports in the
coming months.
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