American Airlines is in the early stages of introducing technology it believes will prevent passengers from becoming so-called "gate lice."
The new system will have an audible signal when someone tries to board the plane before they are called to do so.
"Gate lice" are an annoyance for fellow passengers, as well as staff who are there to help flyers board the plane in a timely manner.
What does the term 'gate lice' mean?
People who attempt to skip ahead when boarding have been dubbed "gate lice" by fellow travelers.
One flight attendant recently told Reader's Digest that 'gate lice' are people who crowd the boarding gate, which "makes it difficult for those with legitimate needs for preboarding to get to the boarding door."
Why do people 'gate lice'?
Passengers who are not designated to the first boarding group will sometimes jump into the wrong line to get ahead and secure space for their bags in the overhead lockers.
"The only reason to board first rather than last is overhead bin space," says Gary Leff of the popular travel website View from the Wing. He explained in a blog post that such passengers make the boarding process more complicated than it should be.
What is American Airlines doing to stop gate lice?
The airline says that the boarding passes of those who attempt to skip ahead will not be accepted by boarding staff. Individuals who attempt to board their flight before their designated group will be sent away to board the flight when they are supposed to do so.
"We are in the early phase of testing new technology used during the boarding process," American Airlines said in a statement to Newsweek. "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."
"We've been pleased with the results of the test so far," the airline added.
At which airports are American Airlines testing the new boarding platform?
Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico, Tucson International Airport in Arizona, and Ronald Reagan National Airport in Virginia are the U.S. airports where they new technology is already being tested.
American Airlines is the second largest airline in the U.S. based on passenger numbers, behind only Southwest Airlines. American Airlines carried over 164 million people in 2023.
Social media users have been sharing their thoughts about the new technology. One X user, Anton Wahlman, posted: "I agree with American Airlines: Get rid of the lice."
"The only people that will have a problem with this ARE THE PROBLEM," said Skylor.
"Since each passenger is assigned a specific seat why the rush to board?" argued @infogmarkets.
"This is why I love the boarding process @SouthwestAir. Please don't change it!" said @RetiredJournal2.
"Just board back to front like they used to do back in the day," commented @profpaulboxer.
"YES @AmericanAir THANK YOU!" wrote @CrowProfane.
"About time...A Major Airline Is Cracking Down on 'Gate Lice'," said @perrych.
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