Boarding a plane can be a hectic experience. Those in front have a clear path to their seats, while those at the end of the line face wait times and crowded overhead bins. Some might even skip ahead of their assigned boarding zone to get a leg up on the process. But with boarding zones assigned by cabin class, airlines aren’t keen on economy passengers skipping ahead.
To combat the issue, American Airlines is testing software to enforce boarding zones and stop line-skippers in their tracks. Here’s how it works.
How American Airlines’ boarding zone software works
American Airlines is beta-testing its boarding zone software in Tucson, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Soon, the airline plans to introduce it at additional locations, including its hub at Ronald Reagan International Airport (DCA). So far, it’s worked well.
The software notifies a gate agent if passengers board before their assigned zone. In that case, an alert sounds when someone scans their boarding pass, and they’ll have to wait their turn. Agents can still override the alert, like when someone’s traveling with a friend in a higher zone.
After reviewing American Airlines’ boarding zones, it’s understandable the carrier wants passengers to follow the rules. Passengers in elevated cabins pay for the privilege; preserving that is simply smart business.
American Airlines’ boarding zones include:
| ConciergeKey® members | ConciergeKey® |
| Group 1 | First
Active duty U.S. military with military I.D. AAdvantage Executive Platinum® (Business on a 2-class international plane) |
| Group 2 | AAdvantage Platinum Pro®
oneworld® Emerald℠ (Business on a 3-class plane) |
| Group 3 | AAdvantage Platinum®
oneworld® Sapphire℠ |
| Group 4 | AAdvantage Gold®
oneworld® Ruby℠ AirPass℠ Premium Economy Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive cardmembers Travelers who bought Priority boarding |
| Group 5 (Preferred boarding) | Main Cabin Extra (excluding Basic Economy)
AAdvantage® members who earn 15,000 Loyalty Points Eligible AAdvantage® credit cardmembers |
| Group 6 | AAdvantage® members |
| Group 7 – 8 | Main cabin |
| Group 9 | Basic Economy |
An American Airlines spokesperson told The Points Guy: “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.”
