If you return from a trip with a few more items than you left with, American Airlines has good news for you.
The Fort Worth-based airline will officially remove carry-on baggage screens from the gate area, as first reported View from the wing and later confirmed by an American Airlines spokesperson.
Removing bag sizers means that gate agents will no longer ask travelers to measure whether their bags will fit just before entering the jet bridge. In the future, airline employees are being asked to side with the traveler if they are unsure whether the suitcase fits in the overhead bin.
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Please note that American is not changing its carry-on size requirements or its baggage policy; you’re simply making a seemingly customer-friendly change to the boarding process.
For its part, the airline says the move is designed to make boarding more efficient: “As we further simplify the boarding experience for our customers and team members, American will soon remove baggage meters from the gate area.”
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Baggage measurers will remain in the check-in area for travelers to determine whether their carry-on bags will fit in the overhead bin, and oversized items will still need to be checked in before the flight, even if they need to be checked at the gate.
This change is based on American boarding improvements that came into effect earlier this yearwhich include revamped pools as well as a longer boarding period that now starts five minutes earlier than before.
What American didn’t say in its policy update is that it actually matches a move made by United Airlines in 2020, which also removed the door-side bag meters.
While the narrative about improving the boarding process apparently makes sense, I’m curious as to why American decided to take this action now. My hunch is that this is part of American’s broader focus on premiumization: trying to make every aspect of the experience feel a little more like a full-service airline than an ultra-low-cost one.
Whether removing bag meters moves the needle is anyone’s guess, but at least the airline appears to be reevaluating every aspect of the travel experience.
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Editorial Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, not of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
