Travel Debates is a series in which our editors weigh in on the most contentious issues that arise in-transit, like whether you should ever switch seats on a plane or if you should check your work email while on vacation.
24.10.2024 - 02:39 / nytimes.com
Every airline traveler has been there. The boarding process begins, and the gate is swarmed with passengers before their zones have been called.
They’re popularly known as “gate lice” and, despite being shamed and mocked in popular culture, U.S. airports are still experiencing outbreaks.
Enter American Airlines, which recently announced that it is in the early phase of testing a new technology to help with these pesky critters. When a passenger attempts to board the plane early with the wrong group, the new system will give an “audible signal” to the gate agent, according to the airline.
The boarding passes of passengers who trigger the signal would not be accepted by agents, and those travelers would be sent back to board with their group, according to the airline.
The technology, which is in an early phase of testing, has been rolled out so far at Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico, Tucson International Airport in Arizona and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia.
“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,” American Airlines said in a statement.
Travel Debates is a series in which our editors weigh in on the most contentious issues that arise in-transit, like whether you should ever switch seats on a plane or if you should check your work email while on vacation.
In the summer of 2022, Carley Schweet, her husband, their toddler son, and their then nine-month-old daughter flew from Seattle to Lexington, Kentucky, to visit family. After they arrived, their daughter became congested and developed a fever. The couple, newly parents of two, thought the infant just had a bad summer cold. So they decided to stay in Lexington and then travel as planned to Chicago, where their daughter’s fever spiked again. They were only in Chicago for 48 hours, and while they thought about visiting a local urgent care, with guidance from their pediatrician, the couple patched up their daughter the best they could and flew back to Seattle.
Get ready for an inspiring journey at the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas on November 12, 2024. This event gathers industry leaders and visionaries to illuminate the latest trends and transformative developments shaping the future of aviation.
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