American Airlines is using new technology to reach early adopters

In what feels like a consequence of Curb your enthusiasmAmerican Airlines is rolling out a new system to catch passengers who try to sneak ahead in line.

According to a press release, the airline is implementing a previously tested program that uses technology to deter passengers who attempt to board before their official group has been called.

Passengers who try to board early not only hear a beep when scanning their boarding pass, but a ridiculous message appears on the scanner alerting the American Airlines agent to the passenger’s correct group.

If a customer boards before their assigned group is called up, the new software will not accept the boarding pass. In these cases, the American team member will invite the customer to rejoin the queue when their boarding group is called.

The airline tested this advanced technology last month at Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Tucson International Airport. It is now used at more than 100 airports across the United States, including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

According to a story in the NY PostAirline employees have a name for these people: “gate lice.”

A statement from American Airlines said those passengers who pay for early access should get their just desserts. Anyone who pays extra is angry when others get the same services.

“The new technology is intended to ensure that customers can easily take advantage of the benefits of priority boarding,” it said.

One factor is certainly the way American Airlines’ current boarding system has become an exercise between haves and have-nots, with nine tiers of boarding groups, from elite status members and credit card holders to the basic ones. Economy Nobody. Things have gotten even worse since the pandemic, with additional fees being charged for every aspect of flying, including a fee if you want to choose your own seat.

As an explanation for why people might do it is the NY Post cites a theory that travelers try to get ahead “out of a tendency toward conformity and a sense of competition.”

Public shaming is a powerful motivator, and Larry David fans would certainly agree that borderline crossers should always be called out – but in this case, there’s actually a valid reason for trying to jump the line, and it can be done summarize in two words: luggage compartments.

Too many travelers store their luggage in overhead compartments that are not above their seats. Who hasn’t seen the guy cheerfully putting his suitcase in the trash can closest to him? And that’s an inequality that’s not being addressed by flight attendants, who admittedly have enough on their plate.

But the fact is, if you board the plane while your boarding group is boarding, there is less chance that there will be room for your suitcase in your designated overhead bin.

If the airline doesn’t enforce luggage storage requirements, it’s hard to blame gate lice for worrying about where their suitcase will end up – or, even worse, whether they’ll face the horror of having to check their luggage at the last minute , because another passenger stole the seat above their head.