The airline, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is currently conducting initial tests at Albuquerque International Sunport and Tucson International Airport. It plans to extend this initiative to additional locations, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in the near future.
As reported by The Washington Post, the new system will emit an “audible signal” when a passenger boards with the wrong group, notifying the gate agent of the situation.
“The technology is intended to facilitate priority boarding for customers and enhance the overall boarding experience by providing our team with better visibility into the boarding process,” stated Andrea Koos, a spokesperson for American Airlines.
The airline has expressed satisfaction with the results of the testing thus far.
In a similar vein, Southwest Airlines, another carrier based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is also making changes to its operations.
While the boarding process will largely remain the same, with customers still receiving a boarding position number and lining up, those who purchase the highest fare will board first. A significant change will be the introduction of assigned seating, with seat maps available during the booking process, including options for seats with extra legroom or preferred locations at the front of the cabin.