Changes to American Airlines Cause a Stir

Traveling lightly now means you get earlier boarding if you travel with American Airlines. On Thursday the airline announced those who only have small carry-ons that can be stowed under the seat will be allowed priority boarding.

Those with small carry-ons will be the second group to board, only premium passengers will board before them. Since checking bags costs money, many passengers carry large suitcases to stow in the overhead bins making them crowded and sometimes overfilled.

However according to the Associated Press, “The airline will let passengers check a carry-on bag at the gate at no charge.”

This means that smart travelers can check their bag at the gate for free then get priority boarding by carrying just a small under-the-seat carry-on.

Kevin Doeksen, director of customer planning for American, told the Associated press the new procedure will bring boarding time down by around two minutes per flight, “which doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up throughout the day.”

The airline hopes the new policy will encourage travelers to leave their large, rolling carry-ons behind and take smaller bags instead, leading to significant cuts in boarding time.