‘Gate lice,’ begone! Airline tests tool to shame premature boarders

globalnews.ca:

Anyone who’s flown with a major airline in recent years knows the scourge of so-called “gate lice,” even if they could never put a name to these particular flouters of airline etiquette.

Simply put, “gate lice” is a pejorative term that refers to passengers who prematurely gather around a boarding gate long before their seat zone is called, trying to get onto the flight early by bending the rules of the boarding process.

And while the average flyer might regard gate lice passengers as more of a nuisance than a real problem, airlines have warned this shirking of the societal contract has real consequences: namely, delays for travellers with disabilities, families and those with priority boarding.

Now, at least one airline is cracking down on these annoying pests with a pilot program that aims to deter people who try to skip the line with a subtle public shaming.

American Airlines announced that it will be reinforcing the rules that govern the boarding process, implementing a scanning system that will emit an audible alert if someone is trying to board ahead of their designated zone.

When the alert is sounded, the gate agent will ask the passenger to step aside and wait until their zone is called, but, more importantly, other passengers waiting to board will also be witness to the gentle-yet-embarrassing public flogging.

“We are always looking at ways to make the boarding experience easier for our customers and for our team members, too,” Rachel Warner, an American Airlines spokesperson, told USA Today, adding that the system is currently being tested at Albuquerque International Sunport, Tucson International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

“It went really well in Tucson and in Albuquerque,” Warner