The only reason to board first rather than last is overhead bin space. If you’re worried about bins filling up, and being forced to gate check your bag, you want onto the aircraft before some of the other passengers. You don’t have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun other people on the plane.
People queue up to board. They rush the gate. They try to board long before it’s their turn, even though they’ll be fine with overhead space usually unless they’re among the last on the plane.
Airlines made this game. They can’t do simple back-to-front boarding because they sell priority boarding, sell first class, and reward customers with status.
Passengers crowding the gate and the boarding lines before it’s their turn, when their boarding group is called, makes for a more chaotic process. And American Airlines is doing something about it. Gate agents are busy and don’t always look at boarding groups when people scan their boarding passes. This is simple, yet genius.
- American Airlines started to enforce boarding groups over the past couple of weeks at two airports – Albuquerque and Tucson – in a trial.
- Passengers scanning their boarding pass before their group number is called will be met with an audible tone.
- Gate agents then ask the passenger to step the side until their group is called.
- With feedback strongly positive (and also, not slowing down the boarding process) they’re going to be rolling this out to Washington’s National airport next in the coming weeks.
According to an American Airlines spokesperson,
We are in the early phase of testing new technology used during the boarding process. The new technology is designed to ensure customers receive the benefits of priority boarding with ease and helps improve the boarding experience by providing greater visibility into boarding progress for our team.
It is still possible to board with a boarding pass that has a group number which hasn’t been called yet. For instance, if my wife and I are on separate reservations and she has a later boarding group number (due to lower status with the airline), we might both board together in group 1.
You might tell the agent before scanning that you’re boarding early, or explain after the tone. The gate agent can clear the flag on their screen and allow you to board.
I generally like this, although I worry about agents having the discretion on whether to make an exception – you’ll get some who refuse to do it when they should. But overall it seems positive, because once passengers start seeing early boarders rejected, they’ll learn to stop doing it.
Already I like American Airlines boarding best. They have a priority lane and a general boarding line. Passengers are called to come to their respective line when it is their group’s turn to board. No one has to stand there like with United’s boarding pens where passengers line up in their assigned group, with each group having a different area (airport and gate-allowing) far in advance of boarding.
United Airlines Boarding
If you’re in group 1 you may be at the back of a line that snakes around the gate area even queueing prior to the start of boarding. If you’re in group 3-5 you may wind up without overhead bin space unless you line up 15 minutes before the start of boarding. That’s as much of a waste of time as Southwest’s boarding where you stand up 30 minutes prior to departure in order to get the best seat, at least until they move to assigned seating.
Some influencers say just board with group one, most agents don’t check your boarding group anyway. I’ve said this bothers me. You aren’t entitled to it. In some sense you’re stealing from the airline and from other passengers, though the boarding game itself is a bit absurdist. I don’t recommend this.
A process where passengers have an assigned time to come up to the gate to board, and can come up at that time or later only, and don’t try to crowd the process really does seem like the most civilized approach.
The funny thing is that I was at an airport yesterday discussing with someone how we did not understand why it did not indicate the wrong boarding group when one scans a boarding pass. Now I am excited to see that AA is using the idea.
I still cannot get over my most interesting boarding group experience. I was at VIE and the gate agent gave a stern lecture about how we were going to board in an orderly manner and that everyone was going to wait until their group was called. Right after this, she called people who needed extra time and then “all other groups” where it was not broken by group at all. However, it was then a bus gate so maybe the gate agent realized that it did not really matter.
I prefer United’s method because they make it very clear where you are in The pre-boarding process. American allows concierge early boarding but not EXP.
….”Passengers scanning their boarding pass before their group number is called will be met with an audible tone.”
IMHO, the “audible tone” ought to be delivered by a football game sidelines airhorn blast! Embarassment can sometimes be a powerful “nudge.” LOL
I think the AA boarding process works well for the most part. I often see gate agents turning back passengers who try to board before their group is called.
While it has never happened to me, I think the real issue to address, is passengers in group 7 or 8 being denied the right to bring on carry on bags when there is still sufficient overhead bin space.
This is amazing- for once AA is doing something right!
How can this be news.
That’s in place in loads of gates in Europe.
Such a basic thing to implement.
I love this idea! I’m always in group 1, but having gate lice crowding the entrance is very annoying.
In most American airports, the audio is terrible. You can’t tell when your boarding group is called. For some reason the audio in modern overseas airports is significantly better.
Lipstick on a pig
Zero effect on the root cause
Flip the backwards stupidity
CHARGE for overhead bin space:
Rollaboards: $50
Instruments, tools, kitchen sinks: $100
“Personal items” – laptop bags, purses, backpacks, up to 2 fly free – but BACKPACKS are not personal items unless they are stowed under the seat in front of you
If you want to put your backpack or other personal item in the overhead bin, you pay $50
Must be purchased with a ticket online
A 2nd boarding pass with QR codes for purchased “products” will prove the right to board and right to bin space in the event of any contention on the plane
Most egregiously, if you are caught with a rollaboard or backpack in the overhead bin for which you did not purchase the requisite “product”, you will be fined $250 per item, payable with miles or cash prior to your next trip on American Airlines, doing what we do best
When purchased at the gate, 50% markup on all fees
DISCOUNTS FOR VARIOUS LEVELS OF LOYALTY ACHIEVEMENT!!!!!!!!!
EXEC PLAT & CK ROLLABOARDS FLY FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(but they still have to “buy” the rollaboard “product” when they buy their ticket, the system will just discount the fee 100%)
PAY pax to check their bags: $10 paid IN CASH for every bag checked
Uplift all fares by $10 to offset the corporate resistance to the idea of “losing money”
Use the extra revenue to pay ramp staff bonuses for bag transfer accuracy, carousel delivery time SLAs, reporting TSA for bag fishing (theft)
this entire paradigm can be easily coded as additional features to existing systems
it will solve EVERYTHING except siberian prison seat pitch
At gates in Palmarola and San Pedro Sula, you go through a first checker who just looks at your pass for boarding group and only lets those called to go to the American check-in station to scan the pass. That person works for the airport, not American. The same process is done at all the other airlines too. It is very efficient and quick.
I hate flying domestic airlines in the United States. Much more civilized in places like Japan. Aldo so sick and tired of airlines essentially pushing class warfare with this crap. Every seat should be the same size. Boarding should start at the back of the plane and work forward. Additionally they could board window seats first, which also speeds up the boarding process. Everyone gets one carry on and one personal item as part of the price of the ticket. And overhead bins should be sized accordingly to hold one carry on for each passengers in the vicinity of their assigned seats.
I taught secondary school for 30 years, & after handling cafeteria duty I could easily supervise the boarding process: call people row-by-row– beginning with the rear of the plane, and loudly make anyone attempting to board out of turn go to the end of line (except for the handicapped and premium-cabin folks).
Yes, I recently flew AA and felt the elite boarding lanes were much less chaotic than UA. One could argue that was because AA has fewer elites so I didn’t see 25 1Ks and 50 Plats crowding into the pre-board and Group 1 lines respectively. But I did not see people rushing up to be first (or tenth) in line or even lining up way in advance as you see on UA. (And this was DFW so certainly an elite-heavy hub).
Ironically WN has the most organized boarding lines and is now scrapping that systems thanks to the asshats at Elliott.
The “audible tone” should be a sad trombone.
It is a method of boarding control. AA groups 1 2 3 4 ten to be experienced travelers who board fast. They know what to do. Know how to find a seat and know what to put in their seat and in the overhead bin. Group 8 9 are what I call the flower people who have no clue
AA for all its faults has had the best, and proper boarding process for years despite the number of groups. UA is by FAR the worst to watch unfold (it’s pretty hilarious what a s***show it is), followed by the ever-changing mess at DL (trying to be ‘premium’ with boarding names and failing miserably, having to resort back to numbers). The real issue is the BS of having to gate check bags arbitrarily in the last zones, only to walk onboard to see row after row of overboard space open.
Saw this being used in Europe (in Germany) a few years ago. This woman from maybe Italy couldn’t speak English or German and they stopped her when she tried to board in wrong Group. Caused a huge issue, woman looked like she was going to be denied boarding when the rest of her family was on the plane.
Sometimes it’s good but can cause confusion.
TUS was a good place to start. Physically crowded boarding areas with 15 elites and 175 people who have obviously never seen an airport or airplane before all trying to get on an A321 to DFW makes one either laugh or question their life choices up to that point.
Many Asian and European airports have turnstiles at the gate where you scan your boarding pass to enter. The gate will not open unless your group has been called.
“Airlines made this game. They can’t do simple back-to-front boarding because they sell priority boarding, sell first class, and reward customers with status.”
Why not put first class in the back of the plane then?
There is a simple solution to this problem. Charge for carryon bags.The system will know how many carryon bags have been sold and when they run out you get to check your bag. You know before you even board if you have an issue. If someone needs it bad enough, then they pay for it. Nothing is free.
Also, pax and their personal gear get weighed.
> No one has to stand there like with United’s boarding pens where passengers line up in their assigned group, with each group having a different area (airport and gate-allowing) far in advance of boarding.
United hasn’t used the boarding group pens for a long time now. They now have two lanes: a priority one and a general one.
I have mastered the art of being a premium gate lice early boarder I shall not be deterred
This sounds like a good idea but when I travel with other family members, even though we booked at the same time, my # is always 2 behind as they have a higher priority AA credit card. I have a disability & they assist with my overhead bag. If I cannot board with them, then I will board early & the FA, will have to help, even though they act indignant, they are suppose to help!!!
I remember a time before checked luggage fees. There was plenty of overhead bin space.
If the only reason to board earlier is bin space, the airlines wrought.
They simply encourage the games. People are smart, they learn and adapt.
If it’s not fragile I don’t mind checking and often volunteer to check even with early boarding.
Now, those bags that simply don’t fit in the overhead and probably didn’t fit the scanner, those need to be checked.
Flight crews, particularly around holidays are also subject to (the) rules.
I usually fly United 1st/business but I also fly AA into/out of DFW. I was on a flight from DFW to BOS last week in 1st. I was sitting in 1B and and standing first in the group 1 lane – I usually get to the gate 10 minutes before boarding time.
UA and AAs boarding process is the same, except AA doesn’t let whatever it’s 1K equivalent is board before paying 1st customers – the only thing I like about AA over UA.
And yes, back when flying was semi civilized I was always the last person to board the plane. Now if you aren’t among the first groups to board you run a decent chance of not having overhead space – even in 1st.
For all the people who say charge for carryons don’t realize that the surge in carryons happened when they charged for checked luggage. If you are going to charge for everything then fly Spirit because that’s what they do.
Just start charging for assigned overhead bin space and offer free checked bags.
They’ve had the technology for a long time now, it’s called Gate Agents. Good work AA.
Regarding, “That’s as much of a waste of time as Southwest’s boarding where you stand up 30 minutes prior to departure in order to get the best seat, at least until they move to assigned seating.” People criticize SWA for their “Cattle Call.” However, you always know exactly who should be in front of you and who should be behind you.
My method is this: let’s say that I’m A45. I remain seated until they begin scanning the A1-A30 group. It’s going to take a LOT of time to get all those pre-boards taken care of. (And SWA seems to have exponentially more than other airlines.) So there’s no reason for me to stand in line when I can sit. Once the A1-A30 is scanning, I walk up and say, “I’m A45, are you A44?”
FINALLY! I am always Group 1 either because I’m an EXP or in FC and I’m tired of Groups 2, 3, & 4 crowding me and not letting me board with my group. I sincerely hope that gate agents enforce this.
a reason i think the AA lines aren’t as bad is the A321s have closet sized bins, no need to get on early to get space
the actual boarding setup is not materially different from the others
@Linda: no, they are not supposed to help you. You are responsible for your carry-on and you cannot expect a flight attendant to help you; that is not their job. If you were unable to store your own bag, then you are required to check it.
@ Sean
No, we don’t wanna be in the back of the plane! As first class passengers, our time is valuable and we want to be the first off the plane.