American Airlines simply launched a brand new approach to cease gate lice — however what does that even imply? Travelers who fly with the airline are questioning what this implies for the boarding course of. However, anybody who has traveled lately is conscious of 1 main criticism: overcrowded gates throughout boarding.
What Is ‘Gate Lice’?
“Gate lice” refers to passengers who crowd the gate when their boarding group hasn’t been referred to as but. As vacationers know, accessing these overhead bins can really feel like a race towards time. So, some individuals block the gate, and due to this fact, different passengers, to attempt to get a spot on the airplane as shortly as potential.
What Is American Airlines’ Gate Lice Platform?
American Airlines doesn’t check with its clients as “gate lice.” The time period made the rounds on social media, although, after the corporate launched a brand new device to expedite boarding procedures.
In a press release obtained by USA Today, a spokesperson from the airline famous that they “are in the early phase of testing new technology used during the boarding process,” which “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 [their] team.”
American Airlines is testing a brand new know-how that may give an “audible signal” to the gate agent when passengers try and board a flight forward of their assigned teams.
Those skipping the road could also be despatched again to attend their turns. https://t.co/YY9TetaU4l
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 23, 2024
Rachel Warner, a rep from American Airlines, additionally defined to the outlet why the corporate is experimenting with new know-how.
“It’s a privilege that comes with where (a customer) may be sitting on the plane, or with their advantage status, or if they’re a credit card holder,” she famous. “We want to make sure that our customers are getting the opportunity to board in the order in which they should. … We are always looking at ways to make the boarding experience easier for our customers and for our team members, too. There’s so much that a team member has to do at the gate, so we’re constantly looking at ways we can use technology to make that easier for both groups.”
What Airports Have the New Boarding Technology?
The airports the place American Airlines has began utilizing its new boarding platform are Albuquerque International Sunport, Tucson International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.