Low-cost airline Play is helping travelers save on a trip to Europe with a monstrous Halloween sale that has flights starting at less than $100.
18.10.2024 - 18:59 / thepointsguy.com
Trying to cut to the front of the boarding line may not work for much longer with American Airlines.
That's because the Fort Worth-based carrier is testing new technology that will help gate agents enforce the boarding order. The new software alerts the gate agent when a passenger is trying to board before their group is called. News of this software trial was first reported by View from the Wing and independently confirmed by TPG with an American Airlines spokesperson.
If you do try to board before your turn, the computer connected to the boarding pass scanner will display an alert message and sound an alarm to warn the gate agent not to board you.
The agent can manually override the alert in certain cases, such as if you're traveling with a companion in a better boarding group. But for the most part, lining up early and boarding when you want to will no longer be possible on American.
For now, American is branding this new technology as a beta test, only available at a few limited outstations. The airline has been piloting the software in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, and it'll shortly enable it in other locations, including its hub at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
American says it's been pleased with the test results so far, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the airline expand this software worldwide.
"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," a carrier spokesperson told TPG.
For American, it seems sensible to increase the enforcement of its boarding groups. Priority boarding is a perk of elite status, and not strictly enforcing the boarding order eliminates one of the key benefits of earning status with the airline.
Value check: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?
Another big consideration is that several AAdvantage cobranded credit cards include priority boarding, and reserving this perk for those who sign up for cards should help the carrier generate more sign-ups.
It'll be interesting to see what happens with this technology in the coming months. Loyal flyers who want to maximize their chances of finding overhead bin space will likely be rooting for the feature to start popping up at other airports — and on more airlines.
American currently uses a nine-group boarding process, with the full group breakdown as follows:
Related reading:
Low-cost airline Play is helping travelers save on a trip to Europe with a monstrous Halloween sale that has flights starting at less than $100.
A federal jury in Texas decided American Airlines can recover $9.4 million in damages from “hidden city” ticket platform Skiplagged, which continues to offer the airline’s tickets at steep discounts.
One of my biggest pet peeves when I am flying is people who cannot follow the rules when it comes to boarding (and disembarking, for that matter). I was thrilled to see that American Airlines is on my side and is testing a new boarding process technology that will crack down on people who try to board earlier than their assigned boarding group.
The Biden administration is slapping American Airlines with a record-setting punishment, criticizing the carrier's treatment of passengers who use wheelchairs for mobility devices — and their essential equipment.
Saying that American Airlines mistreated disabled air travelers who use wheelchairs, the U.S. Transportation Department on Wednesday announced a $50 million fine against the carrier. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called the agency’s penalty the highest ever levied against an airline for violating protections for fliers with disabilities.
The Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that it would fine American Airlines $50 million for “numerous serious violations of the laws” that protect passengers with disabilities.
Finland's flagship carrier, Finnair, will expand in the United States next summer, launching its largest-ever schedule from the U.S. to Finland.
If you hold elite status with Delta Air Lines, United Airlines or Southwest Airlines, American Airlines is offering to match your status for at least four months so you can earn status in a different loyalty program without having to start from scratch.
Have some extra American Airlines AAdvantage miles to spare?
American Airlines is testing a new system to make sure travelers board with their designated groups.
Low-cost Icelandic airline Play will cut back on flights to the United States following “disappointing” profits.
Low-cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways is making it easier to get to Europe from the West Coast with a new flight to Rome launching next summer.