American Airlines is testing a new technology at three airports across the country during the boarding process that aims to cut down on passengers who try to cut the line.
The technology, which is being tested at Albuquerque International Sunport Airport in New Mexico, Tucson International Airport in Arizona and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Crystal City, Virginia, alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group.
The cause of line-cutting is limited overhead space and charges for checked bags. No one wants to cram into economy class seats early. They want to beat out the other cattle for overhead space. They need the space because they have a giant carry-on with their clothes for a week to avoid checked bag fees.
The airlines used to load the back of the plane first, but now they sell the rights to get on the plane early to frequent flyers and business class.
Not to mention, the low reliability of checked bags. I’m sure many people have had their bags lost, and can’t deal with the hassle even if they’re lucky enough to have an AirTag in it.
With low pay going to baggage handlers, I don’t see them improving anytime soon.