Boarding is a test of nerves for many passengers and crew members. As soon as the boarding call is announced, long queues start to form, with eager passengers and early starters pushing to the front, often disregarding their assigned boarding groups. The result? Crowded aisles, frustrated travelers, and frequent delays. Now, according to the Washington Post, American Airlines seems to have found a solution to this chaos.
The airline is testing a new system at airports in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, that catches pushy passengers red-handed. As soon as a passenger tries to board the plane before their assigned boarding group, an acoustic signal sounds. At the same time, the gate agent receives a message to inform the overzealous passenger of their actual boarding time. ‘It was great,’ reported a satisfied traveller on the online platform Reddit. ‘I saw five people get kicked out of line for being early. Order at last!’
According to an American Airlines spokesperson, the technology should ensure that travellers who have paid for priority boarding or have frequent flyer status can use their benefits without a hitch. For everyone else, it’s a matter of patience and restraint – until it’s time for your own boarding group. However, there is an exception for families: by prior arrangement, they can still board together, even if they are assigned to different groups.
Swiss does not rule out similar test
Swiss is observing American Airlines’ boarding test—where a signal identifies pushy passengers—with interest. Group boarding is not a new concept for the airline. ‘In Switzerland, with our current infrastructure, we manage well by prioritizing families with children, followed by Groups 1 and 2, ahead of other groups,’ a Swiss spokesperson explained.
According to Swiss, improvements in the area of digital displays or additional announcements to make boarding more efficient would be quite conceivable. However, we are dependent on our system partners at the airport here. We are in constructive and constant dialogue in this regard,’ said the Swiss spokeswoman.
American Airlines is already planning to expand the system to other airports, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. It remains uncertain whether the new boarding system will be implemented universally. However, for passengers who tend to cut in line, this could mark the beginning of a new era of boarding discipline.