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 queues 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?
Sad trombone…. PERFECT!! I don’t know why people are complete asshats boarding a plane. Unfortunately SWA is significantly cheaper for my routes so I’m stuck with the cattle call for a little while longer.
Gary – UA has not used the boarding “pen by group” method pictured in your post in nearly 10 years. They have two lanes today. 1, and 2. Green and blue. Those eligible for pre board can stand off to the side. Everyone in group 3+ waits until 1 and 2 are on board and then group 3+ lines up. Works quite well.
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 like this approach. I flew American yesterday from Memphis to Dallas. I was the first person in the Group 5-9 line. Towards the end of Group 1, 3 young, disheveled men approached the agent. I immediately suspected they were not Group 1. As they queued, I could clearly see they were Group 8. The agent let them board even though he did not appear busy or distracted. Given I had paid for the Group 5 upgrade this was frustrating.
I’m so very confused by this. What has AA been doing all this time? Every time I fly them I hear a negative audible tone at least once during the boarding process. About half the time that person is told it’s not their turn. If I’ve been seeing this for years, how is this a new system? Have I just been witnessing gate agents just being really good at their job and the system itself has been garbage until now?
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!!!
Simply stated, the airlines are responsible for this mess. If airfares were based on reasonably priced baggage handling for 2 checked bags, or cabin storage bins were properly sized for all passengers, the problem would be greatly diminished, if notveliminated. I’ve been a business traveler since the early 80’s and the airlines are clearly responsible for this mess.
Today, I avoid air travel unless it international and if it’s domestic, I’ll take a train.
Who cares? American is the single worst airline in this country. I had status with them and their gate agents at DFW are so nasty all.the.time i switched to Delta and Southwest for all business and personal travel. I will never fly AA again and I’ve managed to keep that promise for 10 years. Delta actually seems to value customers…United is marginally better than AA. We really put up with a lot in this country in terms of airlines. Thanks to deregulation.
Let those who go up early and try to sneak in get their boarding pass reprinted with Group 9 on it.
Planes that only board to the right should have first class board last, after pulling the curtain so they don’t have to see the poors when they board and don’t get touched by them as they walk by.
It would be nice if AA had some planes that only had first and business class between hubs so that you didn’t have to worry as often about the poors causing a fight and diverting the airplane.
Many years ago, I boarded a plane where the gate agent was no-nonsense. He looked fairly imposing, more from his demeanor than his physical size. I remember someone walking up to him to show him his boarding pass. The agent said “This is not your group. Go stand over against that wall”. He did the same for any other gatecrashers.. Best things I’ve ever seen at a gate.
Earlier this year, I was flying back from Germany. They enforced a long drawn-out boarding through nine groups. We then boarded the bus for the ride out to the plane. When we got off the bus, there was a free-for-all onto the plane.
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.
Lol at all of you begging for legacy carriers to become Spirit/Frontier.
No habla ingles somo groupo ocho. Translates to group 2 in their minds. First time on an airplane. Just swam across a river to enter the U.S. illegally and got an Uber to Tucson airport. Their tio lives in cheeka go.
We have to go back ten years. People not boarding groups is really a problem Trump created.
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.
This might only work if the lower boarding numbers follow the one bag in overhead and one under seat. So many times, I’ve Seen the ‘Special’ people cram their 2 carryons along with coats or jackets and hats in the overhead. THAT is what you need to control.
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.
The worst offenders are the entitled gate lice in 1st class. I have noticed they often line up 20 minutes early and always seem to have an attitude.
They block the gate despite the announcement to keep lanes clear … Remember there are folks who need to PRE BOARD.
Maybe the 1st class gate lice should board last and be told to KEEP THE LANES CLEAR! They will always have overhead storage.
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.
Well, I also was in the airport yesterday I flew southwest and I’m gonna be real honest. I like to no seating assigned seating. If people would just get on the plane quit worrying about where they’re sitting. The plane is going in the same direction for everyone just get a seat and quit worrying about where you are in the plane, I have never seen so many indecisive people in my entire life people that have no common sense when it comes to flying if you have to board group get up there group one have your boarding pass in your hand and get your seat quit standing in the isles make other people back up the whole plane Quit weenies you’ve got your ticket. You’ve got your seat assignment get it. We’re all going to the same place on that one airplane. It’s very simple even my grandchildren know how to board a plane thank you but Southwest has it. I’m telling you I can’t believe they’re changing their system now Because I think it works over the rest of the airlines. I have flown Delta, United, American Airlines, Frontier ,Allegiant, and Spirit, , Southwest is at the top of my favorites
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
Wait, did you just actually say that influencers aren’t entitled to group jumping, but your wife is entitled just because she’s with you? And you weren’t trying to be ironic?
Imagine that you not only have an assigned seat, but also an assigned luggage spot. No more guessing!
How about when the audible alert goes off, that offender’s boarding assignment is downgraded by one step? Simply moving the offender off to side is not a deterrent but rather, encourages these losers to try and see if they can get away with it.
If you’re going to play the line game, you have to accept the risk of losing.
For me this is rarely an issue on domestic flights. I fly quite a few international flights with American and these are totally out of control. Everyone in every boarding group swarms at once and it seems to be an expected practice. Roll this out international if you really want to make a deference.
The sources of the “available space” problem listed here are valid, but what’s missing is the issue of (trigger alert) orienting the freaking bag correct…and the related topic of bags that are sold (and allowed on board) despite not completing with aircraft specifications.
Granted, it’s complicated, as sizing standards…as well as interior design…have changed over the years, making compliance difficult.
Still, there are FAR too many people who either don’t know…or don’t care about…how to stow their overhead bag in the most space-efficient way. In most aircraft, the bag should rest on the smallest dimension (i.e. 9 inches of 22x14x9, or 20 centimeters of 55x40x20), with the largest dimension (22in or 55cm) inserted lengthwise from aisle to window, leaving the intermediate dimension (14in or 40cm) to stand from the bottom to the top of the compartment.
It’s space-efficient, but people make ALL KINDS of excuses why they choose not to stow their bags that way, which can be distilled down to (a) personal convenience over consideration of others, and (b) their bags literally can not fit in any other orientation.
If the issue is convenience, better passenger education is in order (e.g. “be prepared, with the things you need in your pockets and/or in a personal item under the seat”. As for the latter, airlines need to stop allowing poorly designed and/or blatantly oversized (*cough*) “carryons” onboard by universally enforcing the bag sizer.
Yes, that represents a threat to boarding/push off times. But ignoring the elephant-sized bags in the room only contributes to the problem; once passengers know that ALL size-cheating bags will have to be checked, they’ll modify their behavior (and bag-shopping habits) to create a better flying experience for all.
@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.
Here I naively thought it was the way it already worked. Didn’t realize it was working on the honor system.
I’ve gotten good at judging when the group ahead of me is ending and get in line to be first of my group.
In the US it’s hard to hear when they talk. Always try to look at the boarding screens..
This doesn’t address the bigger issue of AA hubs (especially CLT) having multiple flights all boarding at the same time all crammed next to each other. There’s nowhere to even sit to wait for boarding so everyone just mobs the gate areas and when gate agents announce “group ___”, people assume it’s for their flight.
I wonder if the auto beep is tied to a reading of the ticket or if it is pulling from the passenger database. I ask because I boarded Charlotte to London last week and the gate agent said “you don’t need to show your boarding pass because your face is your boarding pass.“
Sociopathy is what the airlines do.
Instead of objecting to it, we (the passengers) figure out how to route around it.
Both are not socially adept strategies.
Airlines should quit being little whiny bitches.
Passengers should quit trying to subver that system.
Instead, Airlines should create a system which is air, pleasant, and doesn’t introduct new fees.
But they don’t wanna.
Which is why they are losers in every metric of business. Until we teach them we won’t go for it… they will continue to do it.
When boarding process comes up there are always bag checkers who say the airlines should charge for carry ins and make checked bags free. This is an excellent example of unintended consequences: Double the checked bags and you double the number lost, damaged and delayed; increase the wait times to check them and pick them up significantly; need to contract for more people to handle them; run out of carrousel space much more often; and drive people who hate checking bags to book away from your airline.
As a separate observation, encouraging people to check bags also encourages them to take along more stuff in the first place. Might as well fill up the suitcase. More stuff = more weight, and, in the aggregate, more fuel burned, which is a cost to both the airline and the environment,
This will help. It’s an improvement. But there is a more fundamental issue: passengers who stow briefcases in the bins when they should be under the seat in front of them. My estimation is that 10-20% of stuff in the overhead bins is stuff that should be under a seat. I would like to see AA solve this problem first.
Gate lice wouldn’t happen if carry on bags were enforced for size and people not allowed to take overhead bin space that is not over their seat
It doesn’t matter what system the airlines use to board the aircraft because NOBODY thinks the rules apply to them! They ignore the agents when they ask them to stay seated until their row or group is called. They ignore when they say only 2 items allowed on board. They ignore when told only 1 item in overhead bin.
Even if they’re not seated together, elderly and disabled pax are allowed one attendant to accompany them when boarding early as it should be.
While airlines have, and continue to, made flying as uncomfortable as they can, we must accept our part in making it as consistently unpleasant as possible.
You guys are ridiculous. I try to be the last person to check in and board. I relax and watch the circus of everyone else boarding and then, when the gangway is nearly empty, I saunter on down to the plane. If it’s a full flight and there’s a premium seat that hasn’t sold, guess where I get to sit!
8o)~
*No room for carry-on, you say? It’s just luggage Tetris. There’s always an inefficiency somewhere that can be taken advantage of.
I never understood how there isn’t enough overhead bin space. You have a seat number that goes with the overhead bin space. You pay for the space and everyone should have the space assigned to them. It’s just pure entitlement
Ive got one question about the new system. How will AA enforce the exception: military personnel who are allowed to board with any group….
(1) Personally, I don’t believe there’s a huge problem with people boarding out of order. I often board with Group 2 (Platinum Pro) and (domestically) am often the only one in that group. The number of people boarding in front of me seems consonant with the number of first class seats, plus the number of people on the upgrade list ahead of me (who are probably EP), plus a few companions in lower groups who are boarding with their EP spouse. Sure, Group 1 is very large, but it doesn’t strike me that more than a couple of later group people are sneaking through.
(2) Although they do call the groups in order, they tend to call them very close together. Since different people get to the boarding lane at different speeds, in reality people are going to be boarding in a mixed order unless they slow the boarding down substantially.
(3) I think those people who board “out of order” tend to be very infrequent fliers. I don’t think they’ll “learn” to not board early.
(4) Any savings of time for the early boarding group is going to be outweighed by the time spent by agents trying to explain to non-English speakers or first time fliers that, no, the ticket is okay, they just have to wait to board. That’s going to interrupt the boarding process more than allowing a couple of unwashed Group 3ers board before my exalted Group 2 self.
This certainly isn’t a life or death situation but overhead bin storage seems like a huge issue. Boarding in the wrong group is just silly and childish. Everyone (hopefully) is going to get to their destination. One might save a few minutes but the stress that this induces in other passengers is priceless.
I don’t understand why platinum executive cannot board before group 1.
In addition
1. Make an announcement that only Pre Boards are boarding, not First Class or Group 1
2. Get rid of the pre boarding scam by requiring passengers to upload a doctor’s note when requesting wheelchair assistance
3. Make an announcement ahead of time boarding out of turn will not be allowed for any reason. No one cares you decided to travel with your children.
New rules if you can’t lift your own carry on bag into the overhead it gets tossed off the plane. If the bag doesn’t fit in the carry on measuring thing we toss it. Bag fees should be displayed at time of ticket purchase and the option to prepay for a discount should be available. We want a dress code . No pajamas or revealing clothes. Comfortable is one thing sloppy and smelly is annoying. Stop charging for boarding. It creates false entitlement. The captain is in charge end of story. Now sit down and relax.
To the point in the article, the only reason to board earlier is for overhead bin space. There is such an astoundingly simple solution. Each seat has its own bin space properly demarcated and physically divided. You pay for a seat which includes that bin. If your stuff doesn’t fit, you have too much carry on. If I don’t fill my space, you don’t get to use it for your excess stuff. It’s mine. I paid for it.
Frontier used to enforce overhead bins for Group 1 only but that ended like a year ago. I fly in Group 2 to go home every other weekend and I stash my bag up there like I own the plane. Nobody ever says anything. Don’t eyeball the gate agent either and they’ll leave you alone in most cases too.
Really? AA is just getting around to this? Whenever I fly UA at least with in the last year, maybe more, haven’t been flying much. But when I heard the buzzing tone when a pass is scanned I know it’s either someone in an exit row, or someone trying to board outside the called groups.
The comment about SWA doesn’t correspond to my experience. There is no reason to stand in line for 30 minutes. They assign positions, not groups, so B17 can step in front of B18 right up to the time B1 through B30 are allowed to board. Because Southwest has free checked bags, I have never had a big enough carry on bag to qualify for gate check.
They do have a problem with bogus disabled passengers jumping ahead, but that’s another story.
People in boarding groups 1 and 2 flying an Economy ticket don’t need to worry about bin space if their seat is toward the back of the plane but I see some of them throw their bag in the first open bin. Economy Plus bin space was filled up by these folks yesterday when I boarded in group 2. It would help if United would label the overhead bins Economy Plus, Rows 20 through 30, etc. Most people would abide. Not all but it would help.
Agree with those that say: 1- If the carry on does NOT meet the size…it MUST be checked. 2- Your bag is ONLY ALLOWED in the bins over your seat. NO WHERE ELSE. 3- the flight attendants are NOT required to lift your bag into the overhead. If they DO help you, it’s because they want to help you. 4- If you board before your zone/row is called…BUZZZZ. You “cannot pass go and you don’t collect $200″…back to the waiting area. PERIOD
The information about Southwest is grossly misrepresented. They actually have the BEST scenarios y providing every one with a letter and a number. There’s no guessing and you do NOT have to rush to stand in line. Your boarding position was assigned at check in. You can pay for early boarding. The two free checked bags ensures there’s no need for large carry on bags. Please correct this misinformation
@Yoli – you need to stand in line earlier and longer than with American airlines! If you have an A boarding group and you aren’t standing at the start of boarding you won’t board with A!
The whole system has turned into an Inspector Gadget movie gone bad. Next up? They will mark overhead bins and start charging for “extra overhead bin” space. If your bag doesn’t fit in the allocated space, the it goes to the hold. Sounds silly, but 20 years ago would you have imagined that 2 inches of extra legroom would go for $150?
@Gary Leff — That’s not my experience. SWA boards faster. I find that even in a C group I spend less time standing than with an equivalent position on AA. Yoli is right.
Boarding outside your group is in no way stealing. Playing apologetics for corporate behavior is a garbage take.
Do as in Europe does, board from the and rear at the same time. The rear , economy, usually boards from plane stairs outside but the boarding is faster, smoother and no fights about overhead bin space. I did two flights this summer in Oslo and Munich. It was great. Something the US should consider.
@jesda gulati – we’re talking about two different things. the total boarding process at southwest runs more quickly *because everyone queues longer*
Eliminate overhead bins everyone check bags and that way boarding goes faster.
You know where this is heading. Soon there won’t be a gate agent to control it, it will be with facial recognition or a turnstile allowing you to board. Look what they did with baggage where you have to tag it yourself.
I find it peculiar that authors for these kinds of articles would say something like “airlines made this game” complaining about they sell elite status just to make money instead of boarding back to front.
But these authors all tend to be elite fliers with all the perks encouraging airlines to not return to back to front boarding.
If American Airlines thinks shaming Americans is going to stop them, they have another thing coming. Americans are the worst humans on the planet and shaming will not stop their behavior. Might even encourage line jumping with the audible reprimand being a flex. They’ll film it and post it online. Savages. Avoid Americans at all cost. They’re gross.
@Gunther. So, the new AA policy is consistent with that done in other countries. But, Americans are the savages? If so, then why would those other countries need to ban early boarders? I would think those higher beings wouldn’t need a mechanism to prevent cheating. I will gladly bash Americans when they deserve it (who the heck imagines Trump/H Clinton/Biden/Harris should be in the finals for the most important elected position?), but it needs to be on target.
I like this new policy designed to handle line cutters.
Line cutters are generally self-serving jerks.
@Gunther who wrote “Americans are the worst humans on the planet”.
If this were true, why do millions of people continue to visit and relocate to the United States???
This won’t stop the southwest wheelchair army lol
This happens to us people in the last seats place their carry ons in the front Leaving no space for the incoming carry ons
Get rid of overhead bins altogether
Gary. you are flat wrong about SWA.
1. No need to stand up more than 5 minutes. I take a seat near my Bording # and get in line at my position when the last boarding group is about finished. If in say A20, get up and get in position when Group A is about to board. Never had an issue.
2. You can’t stand in Group C positions until the Group B are almost finished boarding.. And then as mentioned above, just get in position when the last part of Group B are boarding.
Sure some (many) get in line early – but pn AA I see many “waiting” in boarding area long before necessary – although they may do so as a large crowd makes it difficult to get to the front when your Group is called.
3. On SWA they have a beep when someone’s boarding pass is scanned and they are 5 or so positions before their turn – although agent sometimes ignores. I have seen agents have pax step aside and wait til their boarding position comes up.
All the fuss about fast boarding when 90% of the time on all airlines everyone is seated and still wait 10 minutes or so before the doors close??
As a mom, when I fly with my kids, they never have the same boarding number as me even though we are all on the same reservation. I got called out when scanning my boarding passes as they well calling group 6, that I should be in group 9 (which my kids had), even though my group number was 6. I had to go back and show her I was group 6 and she didn’t say anything else. My kids are 12, 11, 7, and 5, is isn’t like they are adult kids. I don’t understand why they can’t all have the same number. Now I’ll get to enjoy a beep/noise each time.
I’ll echo the two people so far who have mentioned that if the airline would actually monitor and enforce the carry on size and quantity we wouldn’t have this problem.
Just
1. Enable 1st and business to board LATER than anyone else (I e. 20 minutes in advance). Close gate 30 minutes in advance for everyone else.
2. Board back to front
3. Assign 1 under seat and 1 above seat slot, no more
Thank goodness!!! This should ease boarding stress. I only hope the gate agent doesn’t allow abuse or nothing changes.
Unless the Tucson gate agent accidentally calls out Group 9 at the beginning of the boarding process instead of Group 1! That happened just a couple of days ago on our flight to DFW and chaos ensued, with Group 9 charging the gate and Group 1 trying to wade through the mistake. When we got to our first class seat we noticed a lot more people on board than usual towards the back of the plane.
I’m glad multiple people have corrected the author. Yet he refuses to acknowledge the mistaken categorization of SWA’s boarding process. “If you aren’t standing at the start or boarding you won’t board with group A”. Because group A is the first to board. Duh. If you aren’t ready to board when the first group board on any airline you aren’t going to board with them. And? All people have positions. You go when it’s your turn. If for some reason someone in an A position doesn’t come until the B group is boarding that’s on them. Idk what you want. They’ll still be allowed to go up once they get there—it’s not like they have to go to the back of the line if that’s what you think. I don’t get your problem with SWA’s boarding process. Sadly folks who don’t understand the concept have complained and now they’re changing the best seating strategy in airlines.
I also don’t understand your description of UA’s process. It isn’t any different from any other airline.
You can call it correcting but you’re missing the point.
If you want your decent seat on Southwest, say you have an A boarding pass and have a shot at an aisle seat, if you aren’t at the gate queued up 30 minutes prior to departure you aren’t going to get that seat.
If you’re flying American Airlines you can board 15 minutes prior to departure and still get your seat. Fortunately, the shift to assigned seating at Southwest will improve things.
Right now, Southwest elites spend MORE TIME on the aircraft than necessary because they’re squatting a seat.
What bugs me is when gate agents don’t pay attention. Let’s say an agent has called Group 3. When only one or two people are left in line, then call Group 4. Don’t wait until there is no one between the scanners and the jet bridge door, and people milling around to call the next group.
What would solve this once and for all would be for airlines to start to charge for overhead bin space. What we have now are a bunch of people who don’t want to pay to check a bag, so they try to put everything in carry-on. Bins would be less crowded and boarding and de-boarding would go much faster without everybody clogging up the aisle with their roller bags.
How many aisle seats do you think are on the plane? I have gotten my preferred seat of the time (which happens to be the aisle) and I have never even had A boarding before—usually it’s the high Bs. Ive had a connection before and come late missing my spot and still gotten on and got an aisle seat. IDK where this fictitious “line up 30 minutes beforehand” nonsense is coming from. They call people to line up by groups exactly like other airlines do. You definitely don’t have to stand there. And in fact you CAN’T all stand there for 30+ minutes because you have to stand by your number and it’s only 30 ppl at a time A1-30 then A31-60 is called, the B1-30, then B 31-60. You couldn’t “stand in line 30 minutes beforehand” even if you wanted to
Hi, I haven’t flown in years. I am disabled and need a walker.i can’t walk far on or off planes. How does boarding line up for us? I’m planning a trip for New Years 2026 and need to know how I will deal with getting on the plan
My frustration with AA is usually at DCA and sometimes PHX when the gate agent calls zone 2, 3, and 4 at the same time. Not even a breath between announcing the 3 groups. Why work for platinum pro when it’s no better than the credit card.
Please at least let each zone get in line before calling the next one.
This is such a stupid article. First if all passengers don’t scan their boarding pass how does the airline get an accurate head count of who is on board… Second airlines in Europe have been doing this for years…. not “genius” more like welcome to technology…..
There is not enough overhead space for every person to put one suitcase in there. And I have the right to put my backpack up there if I check my bags instead of cramming it under the seat in front of me and losing what little leg room I get.
If the overhead bins were divided into 3 separate compartments for a row of 3 seats that are only accessible by swiping your boarding pass this would stop the excessive carry on .Flight attendants would have a master key type swipe ability.
Maybe American Airlines could focus on having on time flights instead.
Thanks for all the helpful Info. I’m grandfathered into both AA and Delta highest status (and now with credit card spend, seems to be the only way to maintain the highest levels. I have Platinum Forever on AA (when they did such things). And get Exec Platinum and Delta Diamond Medillion based on spend. Or course, the bad news is that the business is spending so much on credit cards!
All flights should exit from the front and back.
You can NEVER remove human factor, Lyin’ Leff. You’re so clueless and if you would have at least an ounce of compassion you wouldn’t be so beaten over your own foolish pride. Please go and stand in the corner and suck on a little dumb dumb.
Needed a “system” for gate agents to comprehend that the person attempting to board has a pass with a boarding group number/letter that does not match what is being called/displayed?
Maybe this is just a way to keep the gate agents safe from unstable passengers who would lash out at them.