American Airlines said on Nov. 21 that it will introduce new technology at more than 100 airports across the United States to prevent passengers from cutting in line during the boarding process.
If a passenger is traveling with a companion in an earlier boarding group, the gate agent has the option to override the alert and accept the passenger’s boarding pass, according to the statement.
The airline conducted trials of the software at Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Tucson International Airport over the past month.
Julie Rath, senior vice president of airport operations, reservations, and service recovery at American Airlines, said the airline has received positive feedback on the technology from customers and staff.
“We’ve heard from our customers that the ability to board with their assigned group is important to them because it’s a benefit associated with their AAdvantage status or fare purchase,” Rath said in a statement.
The airline said the new software will provide staff with further insight into the number of passengers in each boarding group, allowing gate agents to better control the boarding process.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are among the airports that will use the software ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday season, the airline stated.
It expects to carry 500,000 more passengers than last year during this period, with 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft scheduled to be en route at 10.45 a.m. CT on Dec. 1, which the airline said is the “highest number of flights handled at any given time during Americans’ travel period.”
In its investigation, the department relied on three complaints filed by the Paralyzed Veterans of America, which alleged that the airline had given them “inadequate wheelchair assistance.”
