NEW YORK (AP) — American Airlines is testing new technology at three airports across the country during the boarding process that aims to reduce the number of passengers trying to cut through the line.
The technology, which is being tested at Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico, Tucson International Airport in Arizona, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Crystal City, Virginia, audibly alerts gate agents if a passenger tries to scan a ticket before traveling. The group assigned to them.
“The new technology is designed to ensure customers can easily access the benefits of priority boarding and helps improve the boarding experience by providing greater visibility into boarding progress to our team,” American Airlines said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press.
American Airlines said the gate agent politely tells the customer that he or she is unable to accept the ticket and asks the customer to rejoin the line when their boarding group is called. In some cases where a customer may be able to board a plane outside the system, such as when traveling with a higher-status companion, the agent has a quick way to bypass the alert and accept passage, American Airlines said in the statement.
Although the technology is still in an experimental phase, the airline said it is happy with the results so far.
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