American Airlines’ technology that aims to eliminate boarding group scofflaws has come to Chicago.
The software sounds a chime if a passenger attempts to board their flight before their assigned group is called, alerting the gate agent and the customer to the error. It will not accept the boarding pass of someone assigned to a later group.
The technology was tested in late 2024 and rolled out to more than 100 U.S. airports just as the busy Thanksgiving travel season got under way. American brought it to O’Hare International Airport this month.
The program is designed to give staff more visibility into the boarding process, American Airlines said, and to help ensure passengers board with their assigned group. That can be a particular benefit for American Airlines’ loyalty program members or those who purchase certain types of fares.
When the technology alerts passengers and the gate agent to someone trying to board with an earlier group, staff will ask the customer to rejoin the line when their assigned group is called, American said. If a passenger is traveling with someone in an earlier boarding group, the agent can easily override the alert and accept the boarding pass.
The new software comes after American, one of the two main carriers at O’Hare, said it planned to boost flying capacity out of the city’s major airport. The carrier is adding nine new domestic and international cities to its Chicago routes this year, and this summer has scheduled 25% more seats and 22% more flights from the city than last year.
American will also be making another boarding change, adding five minutes to scheduled boarding times on many domestic flights. The move, set to start May 1, is intended to allow more time for pauses between groups, relieving congestion on the jet bridge and giving passengers more time to put their bags away and get settled on the plane, the carrier said.
At O’Hare, American recently also added express service kiosks and reconfigured its lobby.
“These investments, as well as our major expansion at O’Hare, reinforce our commitment to the bright future we have here in Chicago,” American’s Vice President of ORD Operations Ben Humphrey said in a statement.
