American Airlines says it will start enforcing boarding priority using a system United Airlines has used for many years. While it may not work flawlessly, it should reduce the number of folks trying to board early and empower gate agents to more gracefully turn folks away.
American Airlines’ New Boarding System Mimics United In Attempt To Enforce Boarding Groups
View From The Wing notes that under a new trial system, if a passenger scans their boarding pass before their group number is called, they will be met with an audible tone. At that point, a gate agent will ask the passenger to step aside until their group number is called. This has been tested in Albuquerque (ABQ) and Tucson (TUS) and will shortly expand to Washington National (DCA).
As American explains:
We are in the early phase of testing new technology used during the boarding process. 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.
As a frequent United Airlines flyer and infrequent American Airlines traveler, I was honestly surprised that American has not adapted this change already (sort of like how it took United 10 years longer than American to offer meal service pre-orders…).
At United, at least in my experience, it works exactly as American explains above. And indeed, I hear that beep a lot…I pre-board due to my Premier 1K status and all the time I run into Group 1…or 2…or 5 passengers trying to board early. It’s really quite easy: the system beeps red and the gate agent (usually nicely, sometimes bluntly) tells you to step aside and wait your turn.
If you’re traveling with a spouse or companion in a lower group, you can still board together with the higher group number and just let the agent know…it’s easy enough for the gate agent to click override and allow the person onboard. Hopefully on American, like United, there will not be additioanl “exceptions” made (the only time I see those on United is when the gate agent appears in a rush to board the plane as quickly as possible).
View From The Wing likes the new AA system and says “no one has to stand there like with United’s boarding pens where passengers line up in their assigned group, with each group having a different area (airport and gate-allowing) far in advance of boarding.” I don’t see that when flying United, though. United also has a priority lane and a general lane and groups 3, 4, and 5 are invited to remain seated until their group is called…sounds identical to me.
CONCLUSION
American Airlines is testing a new (for itself) boarding software that will beep when a person boards ahead of their group being called. Based on how I’ve seen thsi play out at United, this is a good move and should work well to discourage passengers from brazenly trying to board early.
I was a bit unclear in my explanation of United, making it sound like the current group 1 and 2 lines were no different from the old days of signs for groups 1-5. Groups 1 and 2 are both very large. Passengers line up at those signs far in advance of boarding time. If you aren’t 1K or Global Services and only show up at the gate at boarding, you’re way back in the boarding queue. You have passengers waiting a long time to board, standing in a line. And on non-United NEXT interior aircraft there’s a good chance you won’t have overhead bin space in the same cabin if you’re in first class. I find American’s process of calling up a single group for the priority line far more respectful of passenger time.
Ugh Gary I stopped reading your blog because of your clickbait and dull writing style. Please don’t pollute this blog too.
Any chance we could get you to boycott this blog?
NEVER!
No, you still troll the comments under a variety of names but I’ve gotten better at blocking the insults of others you drop there.
I love your variety of accounts too Gary, especially the “Fake Gary Leff” one on X. Love how it lets you get your true feelings out there without people knowing it’s you.
Hey I haven’t done that in quite a while, fatboy.
It amazes me that because of poor behavior of passengers, airlines need to invest in these types of solutions. It is cultural and most Americans love to play dumb to game the system. They know it is not their time to board but they try anyway. Same as placing bags in overhead bins for first class. They do and walk to the back like they did nothing wrong.
@Santastico … +1 . Diminution of cultural decency and manners .
You think americans are bad, omfg, you should travel to asia or ME once. It’s 100x worse there. China being the worst, and Japan being the best. America would rank 2nd next to Japan, if you put them in Asia. It’s always the old grandmas (40+) that are the worst.
Spirit doesn’t seem to have this problem. Then again, their agents will turn people back with or without a bad tone.
I will agree with Gary that on United it’s more than a little ridiculous that First Class is in Group 1 and unless you are a 1K or a GS you may have an issue putting your bag up if you aren’t in the front of that line…. especially on like the A320 (I think it’s the 320? maybe the 319) where 1/3 of the overhead bins up front are blocked for emergency equipment. Before being a 1K, it drove me bat-crazy that as a paid F customer I could be number 30 in line to board and not even counting pre-boarders.
American and Delta definitely do the “First Class boards first” better than United. If United called First up around Group 1 that would be great.
Or if the flight attendants did like Spirit and Allegiant – they close off the overhead bins in the front until all passengers assigned to those seats are boarded. And they police it. Put a bag over row 1 and you aren’t in row 1? You’ll be told to move it.
Be interested to see how loud this naughty tone is. Being American I have visions of it being embarrassing for the customer.
Having only flown UA a couple of times and AA exactly zero, can someone clarify whether there’s actually a priority side? I just don’t get the concept multiple groups- if I am group 1 and arrive at the gate when group 5 is boarding, would I have to queue behind them, or can I just go through the priority side which will be empty by then? Is this only about boarding before others, or is it actually about avoiding queues and boarding at one’s leisure?
If you’re traveling with someone in a later group, you should not be able to have them board earlier.