**American Airlines Rolls Out New Boarding Technology to Over 100 Airports Nationwide**

American Airlines is set to expand its innovative boarding technology to more than 100 airports across the country before Thanksgiving. This new system aims to prevent passengers from cutting in line during the boarding process, ensuring a smoother experience for all travelers. The technology has been successfully tested over the past month at Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Tucson International Airport, allowing the airline to fine-tune the process.

The new system works by emitting a sound when a passenger attempts to board before their assigned group, alerting the gate agent. "In these instances, the American team member will invite the customer to rejoin the line when their boarding group is called," the airline stated in a release. This approach could significantly reduce the number of people crowding near gates, a situation that frequent flyers have humorously dubbed "gate lice."

According to Julie Rath, senior vice president at American Airlines, both customers and employees have responded positively to the new technology. "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," Rath said. Among the airports adopting this technology is Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the world's busiest airport based on passenger traffic.

The airline highlighted additional benefits of the new system, stating that it provides staff with better insight into the number of passengers in each boarding group, helping to pace the boarding process more efficiently. As American Airlines prepares for the busy Thanksgiving travel period, during which it expects to fly nearly 8.3 million people on over 77,000 flights from November 21 to December 3, the expanded use of this boarding technology aims to enhance the travel experience for all.