American Airlines tries tech solution to “gate lice”

American Airlines has a message for queue-jumpers: wait your turn. To deter passengers from queuing up to board a plane before their group is called at a gate, the US carrier is piloting a new, but simple, piece of technology: a beep. When impatient travellers try to board early, software reading their boarding passes will give an “audible signal” and alert staff to the passengers’ correct group. Why do so-called “gate lice” try to sneak on early? It may be in a bid to secure a scarce overhead storage locker, out of anxiety, or simply because they see other people doing it. But they could block those needing to board first, like wheelchair-users. The technology has been tested in Albuquerque and Tucson, and the airline plans to expand it soon. For a demonstration of the new rules, queue here for The Washington Post video.