American Airlines to boarding group cheats: Wait your turn
Attention American Airlines passengers! If you're one of those overeager travelers who jumps the queue by boarding before your assigned group, the carrier is coming for you.
The airline has successfully piloted new technology that alerts gate agents when customers try to board planes prematurely, or before their assigned boarding group has been instructed to line up at the gate. It's now bringing the tool, which was trialed at three airports, to roughly 100 airports ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel period.
When a passenger who assigned to group five tries to board when group three is called, for example, their boarding pass will trigger an audible sound and display a message to gate agents. They will not be permitted to board and will instead be instructed to wait their turns.
Priority boarding is a prized perk, and the new system is designed to protect it for those passengers who pay extra to settle into their seats early. It's also meant to make the boarding process more orderly, and efficient, according to the airline.
"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 said in a statement to CBS News during the pilot.
"Some people are taking advantage"
The trial was carried out at Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico, Tucson International Airport in Arizona and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia. Satisfied with the results, American is bringing the system to dozens more airports across the U.S.
The sound alerting gate agents to boarding group cheats is not alarming or designed to embarrass or shame passengers.
But it's working, so far. "It has improved the whole boarding process, so you see less crowding at the gate," American Airlines senior vice president of airport operations told CBS News.
Industry experts praised the move as a smart one.
"American is just tryin to find a way to bring order out of chaos," Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, told CBS News.
Customers pay for early-boarding privileges, or earn them by obtaining elite status with a particular airline. So passengers who haven't paid for the perks and cut the line can anger others, adding to the frustrations of flying.
"Some people are taking advantage of the situation because there is no automated process, and you can in theory board with any group," said Scott Keyes, founder of flight deals site Going.com.
Still, Keyes understands why passengers might want to skip lines to board early.
"The most important perk you get with early boarding is access to overhead bin space," Keyes said, noting that passengers that board later often have no choice but to gate check their bags, which can be inconvenient. They don't have access to their belongings in-flight and wait for their luggage to be returned to them at their destinations.
American Airlines did note that with the new system, gate agents still retain some discretion over the boarding process. For example, if members of a family or a group that is traveling together are in different boarding groups, a gate agent can allow the customer in a later group to board with their companions.
