American Airlines tackles 'gate lice'; introduces new tech to stop early boarders

American Airlines is testing a new system to prevent passengers from boarding before their group has been called often referred to " gate lice " by airline staff.

According to a report in the Washington Post, the airline has come up with software alert gate agents with an "audible system" and a message indicating the correct boarding group when someone attempts to board out of turn.

The airline has been piloting the technology at airports in Albuquerque and Tucson, with plans to expand to other locations, including Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC. The airline is pleased with the initial results and believes the technology will improve the boarding experience by providing greater visibility into the process for their team.

“We are in the early phase of testing new technology used during the boarding process,” American said in a statement provided to The Washington Post.

“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,” it added.

Other airlines are also working to tackle this impatient behaviour of passengers which according to experts attribute to a desire to conform and a sense of competition among passengers, often referred to as "gate lice" by airline staff

While Delta Air Lines does not employ any boarding enforcement technology, they have recently switched to a numbered zone system to streamline the process. United Airlines relies on gate agents to monitor boarding, the Washington Post reported.

American Airlines' boarding process prioritizes travelers with status or those who have paid for front-of-plane seats. Priority boarding is available for purchase, with Group 4 being called before main cabin passengers in groups 7 and 8. Basic economy passengers board last.

The new system has garnered attention on social media and travel blogs, with many praising its potential to create a more orderly boarding process. Gary Leff, a travel blogger, said that the airline's boarding process is designed to encourage behaviors like signing up for their credit card or earning frequent-flier status. He also mentioned that readers generally support the idea of enforcing the assigned boarding order, as it reduces frustration among passengers.