Originally Posted by
Antarius
The AA CoC states that you must be in the boarding area 30 mins before but boarding closes 15 mins before. This is what AA is claiming - I call BS as there's no written requirement to make yourself known in between those times. You're well within your contractual rights to sit there from T30 to T16 and board.
The AA information page does state a minimum time to be at the gate, but it is 30 minutes only for international flights; for domestic flights it states 15 minutes
Originally Posted by https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/support/flying-with-american.jsp
You must be at the gate and ready to board the plane:
15 minutes before departure on domestic flights
30 minutes before departure for international flights
Be sure to check your boarding pass for boarding times. If you're not at the gate in time, your seat may be given to a standby passenger.
The doors close at least 10 minutes before departure. Once the door is shut, it will not be reopened unless there is health, safety or security issue.
Since the passenger was on a domestic flight, the 15 minutes requirement would apply ; The CoC wording is different and contradictory.