Ever wish you could be one of the first people allowed to board a plane, even before the First Class passengers? Well one airline is about to grant you your wish.
American Airlines has announced the BOARDING AND FLEXIBILITY PACKAGE, which will allow passengers who buy tickets on the AA website to purchase a package of perks that includes being among the first to board a flight. The “introductory price” for the package will range from $9 to $19 one way and will vary based on the market and routing. It will also include a $75 discount off the regular $150 fee charged on many fares should you need to change your itinerary. The package will also allow you to be on standby for an earlier flight for free.
American will offer early boarding as a stand-alone option for a flat fee of $10 each way starting this summer. Air travelers will be able to buy the perk at self-service check-in kiosks up to one hour before their flight is scheduled to leave. But not everyone is all that excited over the new AA perk.
“American is allowing you to pay a fee to avoid paying a fee,” wrote Christopher Elliott, a travel columnist and National Geographic Traveler magazine’s reader advocate. “This is as bizarre a move as charging for the first bag, which American Airlines pioneered.” He also noted that passengers who pay the early boarding fee won’t be the “very first” on the plane. That privilege will still be reserved for American’s elite status members, or passengers with special needs (handicapped, elderly, families, etc.) who will be allowed to board early without paying anything extra.
Incidentally, American is not the first or only airline with such a service. United Airlines offers a “Premier Line” service starting at $19, which gives passengers priority boarding. And Southwest Airlines charges $10 for its “Early Bird Check-in,” which promises air travelers “a better boarding position.”
