NEW YORK (AP) Getting on that jet sooner by slinking a bit ahead of the line? American Airlines may put you out of business.
Americans have implemented boarding equipment that notifies gate officials with an audible sound whenever a passenger attempts to scan a ticket before their designated group, ostensibly in an attempt to lessen the inconveniences caused by airport line cutting. Customers who arrive at the gate early will be asked to return and wait their turn since the new software will not accept a boarding pass before the group to which it is assigned is called.
The airline declared on Wednesday that more than 100 U.S. airports from which American flights depart now utilize the system. Following successful tests at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Tucson International Airport, and Albuquerque International Sunport, the expansion is officially announced.
In a statement, Julie Rath, senior vice president of airport operations, reservations, and service recovery for American, said, “The initial response from customers and American employees has exceeded our expectations.” The airline is excited to have the technology operational before the Thanksgiving break, she continued.
When American announced its gate-control tests last month, it received a lot of attention. That is not surprising, according to analysts.
The fact that line cutting in airports irritates people is well known. Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry expert at Atmosphere Research Group, said that almost all passengers have seen it, whether on purpose or not. It can exacerbate tensions in an already uncomfortable situation, especially when people are vying for space in the overhead bins or want to seat together.
Customers who cut the line are not shamed by American’s recent action, in Harteveldt’s opinion. According to him, its goal is to restore order to anarchy. Additionally, I hope it will calm any potential outbursts of rage (from those who only believe they have the right to board before their turn). It’s simply unfair.
Harteveldt went on to say he believes this adjustment will improve gate agents’ and customers’ experiences. Others say it will take more time.
According to Seth Miller, editor and creator of the website PaxEx.aero, which analyzes air travel experiences, he can see the advantages of more uniform and orderly gate-control enforcement, especially for airlines. However, he stated that he is not yet entirely certain that this is ideal for travelers.
For instance, families may be scheduled on multiple reservations for many groups, he noted. Customers who are traveling with a buddy in an earlier group can simply have a gate agent overrule the alert to continue boarding, according to American Airlines, which stated on Wednesday that they usually have workarounds for that. You still need to make the extra effort, Miller remarked.
Additionally, he noted that a challenging customer may still decide to protest and hold up the line after they are denied access to the aircraft.
Another dilemma is whether or not customers will feel ashamed and leave after hearing a beep. In order to prevent embarrassment, Harteveldt expressed his satisfaction that the American alert does not consist of a loud noise that reverberates across the terminal or your name being spoken over a loudspeaker.
According to Harteveldt, there may be advantages and disadvantages to extending this technology just one week before the busiest Thanksgiving travel period. According to him, the technology may greatly expedite the boarding process during such a hectic period, but airport staff may have also valued additional time to be ready.
Harteveldt and Miller both stated that they wouldn’t be shocked if other airlines quickly followed the American example. Airport line cutting headaches are nothing new. Miller mentioned that he had witnessed gate agents from other airlines advise passengers to wait in line for their group, though perhaps not to the same degree as American’s new technology. Harteveldt went on to say that he has visited airports in Europe and Asia that have sliding doors to make sure travelers are in the correct group before boarding an aircraft.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are two of the more than 100 airports where American now uses its gate-control system. These airports are all spoke, or non-hub, locations. In the upcoming months, the airline anticipates expanding even further to its hubs and additional locations.