We’ve all experienced it: You’ve just made your way through an overcrowded airport, ever-conscious of the minutes ticking away, trying to reach your gate in time. You’re flustered and exhausted, and all you want to do is get on to the aircraft and relax in that extra-spacious seat that you paid a little bit extra for, sip on a drink, and maybe start watching a movie to shake off the stress.

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Photo: Suvarnabhumi International Airport

But you get to the gate, and an impenetrable scrum of angry humanity is crowded around it. Not only do you not get the early boarding that you paid for, but you spend your next 40 minutes standing in a jetbridge until you are eventually told that there is no overhead bin space left and they will need to check your carry-on. All the boarding chaos on an already-delayed flight eventually results in you missing a tight connection, and you ultimately get home many hours later than you promised your family.

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Everything from preboarding, to priority boarding and all the boarding groups and zones.

What does the term ‘gate lice’ mean?

Does all of that sound familiar? It’s because you have been a victim of ‘gate lice.’ The pejorative term is used to describe air travelers who gather in front of boarding gates before their designated boarding time, often crowding out boarding lanes they are not meant to board through, and then will try to board the aircraft before their designated boarding group has been called.

Gate Lice

Photo: Izusek | Shutterstock

Gate lice is a term that has gained recognition among airline staff and members of the frequent flier community alike. It is believed to have originated on the Flyertalk platform in a discussion about carry-on bags, and perhaps because the evocative wording aligns with the frustration of those passengers observing the gate lice and because the problem remains with us to this day, the term has stuck with us for 20 years since.

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Screenshot: FlyerTalk

Are gate lice actually a problem?

I know you might be thinking, “is it really that big of a deal?” And on many flights, it isn’t. Maybe it is just an irritation because when I have done everything to conform to the airport’s and airline’s rules, it naturally annoys me when other passengers break them (and don’t get stopped). But there are also very real ramifications to gate lice:

They inconvenience other passengers

Gate lice block the way for passengers deplaning from the incoming flight or passengers with the right to board before them. It is not fair that passengers in need of assistance boarding (elderly people, people with disabilities, etc.), families with babies and small children, or people who have paid a premium to board early are pushed back in the line. Blocking their way is offensive to everyone and slows the whole process for everyone involved.

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Photo: Izusek | Shutterstock

The slower processes lead to delays

Slowing down the boarding process wastes everyone’s time. However, gate congestion tends to have a compounding effect on the aircraft. For example, gate lice that have jumped the line take up overhead bin space, and we all have to wait as other passengers are forced to check bags. Industry experts have indicated that gate lice can easily account for delays of half an hour or more in the departure of the aircraft.

These delays lead to missed connections

The biggest challenge is that many flights are already facing delays. If you have traveled in the past few weeks, you know that is especially likely during holiday periods or if there is inclement weather. Adding further delays due to boarding congestion leads to passengers missing connections, which imposes costs on them and their airline.

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Photo: Coleman | Shutterstock

Overall, it creates a corrosive culture

The net effect is that it creates a corrosive culture in what is already a stressful experience and exacerbates the entire travel experience. Somebody who jumps the line at the gate is likely to see if they can get away with it at the line for the rental car shuttle or push their way to the front of the baggage belt, blocking others from retrieving their bags. Worst case scenario: Tempers boil over, and we have all seen the YouTube videos of what happens next.

What are the causes of gate lice?

Psychology experts point to two potential reasons passengers crowd a gate and try to jump the line: conformity and competition. Conformity is something we have all witnessed: The first person who stands up gives others information about how they can (and maybe should) behave, which leads to more people standing up and joining them, thus persuading more to join the gate lice swarm in a constant feedback loop. Or if you arrive at an already-crowded gate, you’re more likely to join the crowd than find a seat, even if the flight is still 20 minutes from boarding.

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Photo: ashdimella | Shutterstock

Shira Gabriel, a psychology professor at the University at Buffalo, explains:

“People use other people as sources of information about the right thing to do and what everyone else is doing. People will do any weird thing if they think that’s how to behave. When you see people lining up, getting ready, you feel there’s a benefit for that.”


Increasingly, airline policy has created a tangible benefit to crowding a gate. Flights are often full or overbooked, creating pressure among passengers to claim their space early. Worse, airlines force fliers to gate-check their carry-ons because of the full overhead bins, which creates competition for the limited space. When you have a tight connecting flight or valuables in your carry-on, you are more competitive for that space and less averse to breaking the rules or dealing with the angry stares of your fellow passengers.

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Photo: Nansan Houn | Shutterstock

Stephen Reicher, a professor of psychology at the University of St. Andrews, says that the uncertainty and anxiety that some passengers feel at the gate can lead them to believe that the consequences of not acting like there’s competition when there is can feel greater than the consequences of acting like there’s competition when there isn’t.


“In the case of the former, you might miss your flight and miss your connection at the other end. In the case of the latter, you have stood up for a few minutes for no good reason. And there are social costs to factor in: To be last in the queue and have to give up your bags makes you a real mug, so people make antisocial choices because of the context they are in.”

What are airlines doing about gate lice?

Gate lice aren’t just an irritant to passengers, they are also an actual cost to airlines as well. Delaying boarding times, causing missed connections, necessitating more gate staff, and infuriating premium and frequent flyers all impact the airline’s bottom line, to say nothing of the fact that airline staff get just as irritated as us by passengers who slow down their processes and cause them extra work.

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Photo: American Airlines

As a result, most airlines have invested considerable time and energy into making boarding processes clearer and more efficient. For example, Delta Air Lines sought to streamline its boarding processes earlier this year with a new numbered system that replaces the names of the different boarding groups. The aim is to make it clearer for infrequent fliers and non-English speakers while aligning with international partners. However, it isn’t a guarantee against gate lice swarming the gate and provides no real protection against those looking to jump the line and board ahead of their actual zone.

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American Airlines takes it a step further

In the past few months, American Airlines has taken more progressive steps to eradicate gate lice by initiating a new automated boarding process. As boarding progresses and passengers scan their boarding passes, they are met with the usual “beep” to indicate an accepted scan. But passengers who try to skip the line and board in a group or zone earlier than the one they are assigned set off a loud error “beep,” alerting the gate agent and the rule-abiding passengers around them. They then get to do the walk of shame as they are asked to move back from the gate until their group is called.

According to The Travel, American Airlines began trials of the new technology in Albuquerque, Tucson, and Washington, DC, during the Fall. They soon reported that it had received a very positive response from passengers and staff alike. As a result, it decided to roll out the technology to more than 100 airports across the US ahead of the holiday season, helping to relieve gate congestion at the airline’s busiest time. As a spokesperson for the airline explained:

“After testing new technology used during the boarding process, we had an overwhelmingly positive response from passengers and our ground staff. The new technology is designed to ensure fairness, so that our customers receive the benefits of priority boarding with ease, and helps improve the boarding experience for everyone by relieving congestion and providing greater visibility into boarding progress for our team.”

What else could help reduce gate lice?

The efforts of American Airlines are a positive development. Still, there is more that airlines and airports can do to eradicate gate lice and make the travel experience less stressful for everyone. Some suggestions that frequent fliers have made include:

  • More space at gates: Part of the problem of gate lice is that there is often very little space at the gate, especially at older airports, and passengers have little choice other than to stand, spurring other passengers to crowd with them. Airport developments prioritizing gate space and ample seating will go a long way to eradicating gate lice.
  • More overhead bin space: Competition for overhead bin space is a primary cause of gate congestion, so increasing the space on the aircraft will help reduce the issue. Newer aircraft coming online that offer larger overhead bins partly solve this, but there is work to be done on how airlines ensure the best utilization of the space.
  • Restrictions on hand luggage: The massive growth in hand luggage, particularly in the US, is a by-product of increased checked luggage costs. Some have suggested a reversal, where checked luggage is free, and hand baggage incurs a charge. However, it is unlikely that airlines will want to do away with the ancillary fees they get from checked luggage. Either way, tighter restrictions on hand luggage size will help free up space and reduce tensions.
  • Penalties for trying to board early: The American Airlines trial has shown that line-jumping can be prevented and will likely create behavioral change as the consequences outweigh the potential benefits for gate lice. One addition to the system could be to increase the penalty: Anyone trying to board early gets moved to the last boarding group.
  • Mandatory clear lanes: Some fliers suggest making it mandatory that boarding lanes are completely clear before boarding commences. Gate lice are, therefore, immediately visible and can be called out individually for holding up the process. When combined with penalties for line-jumping, it removes all incentive to do anything other than take a seat and await your correct boarding zone being called.

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