American Airlines is expanding its innovative boarding technology to more than 100 airports across the U.S. just in time for the holiday season. The platform is designed to ensure customers board with their assigned groups while providing team members with improved visibility during the boarding process.
After successful trials at Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Tucson International Airport (TUS), the technology is being rolled out to deliver a smoother experience for travelers.
“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,” said Julie Rath, American Airlines’ Senior Vice President of Airport Operations, Reservations, and Service Recovery. “The initial positive response from customers and team members has exceeded our expectations, so we are thrilled to leverage this technology to deliver for them ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.”
Key Features of the New Boarding Platform
- Group Verification: Customers attempting to board before their group is called will receive an audible alert, prompting gate agents to ask them to wait until their group is announced. Agents can override the alert for customers traveling with companions in earlier groups.
- Improved Team Member Tools: The platform consolidates multiple applications into a single interface, showing boarding group counts, incoming flight connection times, and tools to pace the boarding process efficiently.
Priority Boarding Benefits
American offers various boarding groups tied to ticket purchases, AAdvantage® status or membership, eligible credit cards, and military service. AAdvantage® members receive Group 6 priority upon enrollment, with higher priority granted to status-level members.
Holiday Rollout
The boarding technology will expand to spoke airports, including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), during the holiday season. In the coming months, American plans to introduce the technology to hub locations and additional airports.
This initiative reflects American Airlines' ongoing commitment to enhancing the travel experience for its customers and ensuring smoother, more efficient operations at the gate.
