American Airlines is expanding its boarding technology to more than 100 airports in the U.S. ahead of the holiday season that will allow the boarding process to run smoothly by ensuring that line cutters get called out.
In a press release on Wednesday, the airline stated that if a customer would board before their assigned group is called, the new software will make an audible sound, which would then alert the gate agent, indicating that the group has not been called yet. At the same time, the system will not be accepting the boarding pass. The customer would just have to wait for his turn until the boarding group where he belongs is called.
Julie Rath, American’s Senior Vice President of Airport Operations, Reservations and Service Recovery, underscored why it was important for their customers to board within their assigned group.
“We’ve heard from our customers that the ability to board with their assigned group is important to them because it’s a benefit associated with their AAdvantage status or fare purchase,” she explained.
“The initial positive response from customers and team members has exceeded our expectations, so we are thrilled to leverage this technology to deliver for them ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday,” Rath further added.
The technology has already been tried by the airline at three airports namely, Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Tucson International Airport (TUS). The initial trial allowed the airline to gain a proper insight on ways to further improve the whole boarding process.
America Airlines has different boarding groups. There are first-class customers and top-tier frequent flyers. There are also those who simply purchase the basic economy fares, or the least-expensive tickets. Usually, customers who belong to the high-paying boarding group enjoy great perks like early boarding, and airlines have also been making sure that they maintain the exclusivity of these groups.
The airline expects around 8.3 million people to board its planes during the Thanksgiving travel period between Nov. 21 and Dec. 3, CNBC reported.
As for other airlines, they have also tried some ways to ensure that the boarding process will go smoothly and gate crowding is prevented. The methods often allow for faster boarding time while protecting the privileges of elite frequent flyers.