American Airlines expands ‘gate lice’ crackdown to over 100 airports

American Airlines has announced that it is expanding its new technology to end a process known as “gate lice,” which is when passengers cut lines in hopes of boarding an early flight.

The system beeps when a passenger tries to board the plane before their assigned duty is called and will automatically reject the ticket.

American Airlines first piloted the technology last month at Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico, Tucson International Airport in Arizona and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.

It will now expand to more than 100 airports before the holiday season.

America’s senior vice president of airport operations, reservations and recovery Julie Rath said in a press release that the ability for customers to board their assigned group is important to them.

“The initial positive response from customers and team members has exceeded our expectations, so we’re excited to use this technology to deliver to them before Thanksgiving,” said Rath.

Travelers boarding with a companion who has an earlier boarding group may still do so.

The agent will override the boarding pass acceptance alert, according to the press release.

The technology “provides team members with more insight into the number of customers in each boarding group” and “displays the estimated time of arrival for inbound flight connections,” according to American’s website.

Some of the airports listed in the expansion program are Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia.

The term “gate lice” has gained traction on social media in recent years.

Although it is not known who coined the phrase, several travel blogs and Reddit forums discuss “gate lice” at length.

In October, a representative from American told Fox News Digital via email, “The new technology is designed to ensure that customers can easily receive the benefits of priority boarding.”

The rep added that it “helps improve the boarding experience by providing greater visibility into boarding progress for our team.”

Jacqueline Whitmore, a former flight attendant and etiquette expert based in Mount Dora, Florida, told Fox News Digital via email that she supports American Airlines’ latest tactic.

Fox News Digital reached out to American Airlines for additional comment.