American Airlines Testing New Boarding Procedure

Boarding your next flight with American Airlines might look—and sound—a little different. 

American has started testing out a new boarding procedure at select airports designed to stop passengers from boarding at the wrong time and keep them in their assigned boarding groups. According to Travel + Leisure, the new process, currently in place at Albuquerque International Sunport airport (ABQ) and Tuscon International Airport (TUS), uses an audible sound when they scan their boarding pass to notify flyers and gate agents if they try to board too early. That technology will soon expand to other locations like Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). 

"We are in the early phase of testing new technology used during the boarding process," an American Airlines spokesperson said in a statement. "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."

American joins other airlines in similarly revamping boarding processes. Last year, United Airlines changed its procedure by having window and middle seat passengers board first to try and speed things up. Earlier this year, Delta switched to traditional number-based boarding zones. And next year, Southwest's infamous open seating will be gone in favor of assigned seating to organize boarding. 

If you try to board an American flight before your group is called, whether intentional or not, be prepared for a sound at the gate to blow up your spot.