Cutting in line? American Airlines' new boarding tech might stop you at now over 100 airports
Sneaking a little ahead of line to get on that plane faster
NEW YORK — 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
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