No pushing! Gate lice technology spreads across US airports

Gate Lice is hitting the US with force and is “catching on” in more than 100 airports across the continent.

The ‘gate lice’ crackdown has taken hold just in time for Thanksgiving in an effort to control pushy passengers at airports. American Airlines is the bigwig behind the scheme, which uses new technology to control “gate lice” – keen passengers who try to skip the queue and board before their designated boarding cohort is called. The airline has said that it wants passengers to ‘enjoy the benefits’ of their assigned boarding group and for it not to be a futile farce.

Gate lice technology beeps when passengers tries to board out of turn

The new boarding technology, which embarrassingly beeps when a passenger tries to board out of turn, will reach more than 100 airports before the peak Thanksgiving and Christmas travel period. This follows on from some rather successful trials in Albuquerque, Washington and Tucson last month, which managed to stop many more passengers in their tracks before zooming to their plane seat. As well as the audible beep, “gate lice” will be further alerted of their faux pas thanks to a visual display on the screen for airline staff who can then come into their own by telling queue-cutting customers to stand aside. There are some exceptions being made for those arriving later than their already-boarded companion. These passengers will be able to pass through and board as normal.

Promising feedback from customers regarding gate lice initiative

Recent trials have revealed promising feedback. Not only did the new platform help to pace the boarding process, but it also helped with the logistics of planning arrival times for incoming flight connections, as boarding management was more precisely controlled. Customers (most likely those who didn’t try to jump the gate) also seemed pleased with the initiative. Julie Rath, American’s senior vice president of airport operations, said: “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.” She added: “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.”

100 more airports to be given the go-ahead for gate lice technology

Aviation hubs, including Austin-Bergstrom International and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, are among the lucky airports next in line to roll out the boarding system and cut queue-jumping gate lice. Those who do have priority boarding will need to stipulate this when they buy their tickets and may depend on factors including AAdvantage status, disability or an extra fee.

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