Feb 17, 2016, 12:57 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Guide to AA Boarding Priority, Order and Times
including minimum gate arrival time to board
Link to "Boarding Process" page on aa.comincluding minimum gate arrival time to board
See the current charts in Post #1.
CURRENT Boarding process as of Apr 2018
(NOTE: The archived thread discussing the announcement, etc. can be read here: ARCHIVE: AA announces new boarding policy effective 1 March 2017
NOTE: Changes have been implemented 01 March 2017, as tweeted by JonNYC. See American Airlines announces new boarding policy effective 1 March 2017
Link to March 1 boarding process on aa.com.
On March 1, 2017, American Airlines will launch a new, simplified boarding process. In the future, all customers will be assigned a group number (1 through 9) based on their ticket type, elite status level and priority. We will call the group number in our announcements rather than all customer types. The boarding order will be the same, with only minor exceptions. The change is in how we refer to each group on boarding passes and announcements. Our ConciergeKey members will be invited to board prior to general boarding.
*Eligible AAdvantage® credit cardmembers (on American Airlines flights) include:
NOTE: AA recent policy has included "Should you arrive at the gate after Priority customers have been called, you may bypass the General Boarding lines and enjoy the convenience of boarding anytime via your new dedicated boarding lane." (American Airlines policy.)
See Ben Schlappig / Lucky's blog here.
Link to March 1 boarding process on aa.com.
On March 1, 2017, American Airlines will launch a new, simplified boarding process. In the future, all customers will be assigned a group number (1 through 9) based on their ticket type, elite status level and priority. We will call the group number in our announcements rather than all customer types. The boarding order will be the same, with only minor exceptions. The change is in how we refer to each group on boarding passes and announcements. Our ConciergeKey members will be invited to board prior to general boarding.
- Preboard: Pax requiring assistance, ConciergeKey (+ Five Star customers)
- Group 1 - First class or 2 cabin international Business class / Active duty U.S. military with military I.D. link(Business on a 2-class international plane)
- Group 2 - Executive Platinum / oneworld Emerald / 3 Cabin Business class
- Group 3 - Platinum Pro / Platinum / oneworld Sapphire
- Group 4 - Gold, oneworld Ruby, Air Pass, Premium Economy, Executive Citi credit card, purchased Priority Boarding
Group 5 (preferred boarding) - Main Cabin Extra (excluding Basic Economy), Eligible corporate travelers**, Other AAdvantage eligible credit cards* - Group 6 - 8 - Coach Groups, Basic Economy on longhaul transoceanic
- Group 9 - Basic Economy within the U.S., Canada, Mexico & Caribbean
*Eligible AAdvantage® credit cardmembers (on American Airlines flights) include:
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select World EliteTM Mastercard®
- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select World EliteTM Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® American Express® Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Visa Signature
- AAdvantage® AviatorTM Silver Mastercard®
- AAdvantage® AviatorTM Red Mastercard®
- AAdvantage® AviatorTM Business Mastercard®
NOTE: AA recent policy has included "Should you arrive at the gate after Priority customers have been called, you may bypass the General Boarding lines and enjoy the convenience of boarding anytime via your new dedicated boarding lane." (American Airlines policy.)
See Ben Schlappig / Lucky's blog here.
Boarding times See chart in first post.
NOTE: AA gate agents seem to often and unpredictably begin boarding earlier than the scheduled times mentioned below.
50 minutes prior to departure From/To the United States and:="4"%Europe
Middle East
Asia
South American destinations: Asuncion, PY; Brasilia, BR; Belo Horizonte, BR; Curitiba, Br; Buenos Aires, AR; Rio de Janeiro, BR; Sao Paulo, BR; Lima, PE; Montevideo, UY; Porto Alegre, BR; Recife, BR; Salvador, BR; Santiago, CL; Sao Paulo Viracop, BR
45 minutes prior to departure - From/To the United States and:="4"%Caribbean
Central America
Hawaii
Mexico
South American destinations: La Paz, BO; Santa Cruz, BO; Maracaibo, VE; Caracas, VE; Bogota, CO; Cali, CO; Medellin, CO; Guayaquil, EC; Quito, EC
35 minutes prior to departure - Domestic on these aircraft types: A321, A321S, A330, B757, B767, B787, B777="4"%Within the 48 contiguous states
Alaska
Canada
30 minutes prior to departure - Domestic on these aircraft types: A319, A320, A321T, E190, S80, B737="4"%Within the 48 contiguous states
Alaska
Canada
50 minutes prior to departure From/To the United States and:="4"%Europe
Middle East
Asia
South American destinations: Asuncion, PY; Brasilia, BR; Belo Horizonte, BR; Curitiba, Br; Buenos Aires, AR; Rio de Janeiro, BR; Sao Paulo, BR; Lima, PE; Montevideo, UY; Porto Alegre, BR; Recife, BR; Salvador, BR; Santiago, CL; Sao Paulo Viracop, BR
45 minutes prior to departure - From/To the United States and:="4"%Caribbean
Central America
Hawaii
Mexico
South American destinations: La Paz, BO; Santa Cruz, BO; Maracaibo, VE; Caracas, VE; Bogota, CO; Cali, CO; Medellin, CO; Guayaquil, EC; Quito, EC
35 minutes prior to departure - Domestic on these aircraft types: A321, A321S, A330, B757, B767, B787, B777="4"%Within the 48 contiguous states
Alaska
Canada
30 minutes prior to departure - Domestic on these aircraft types: A319, A320, A321T, E190, S80, B737="4"%Within the 48 contiguous states
Alaska
Canada
Conditions of Carriage (Link
"Arrival at Gate
You must be at the gate and ready to board the aircraft:
15 minutes prior to scheduled departure for flights departing from points -within- the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands
30 minutes prior to scheduled departure for flights departing from points -outside- the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands, i.e., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Central/South America, Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda"
For gate arrival, AA states: "Recommended before your flight: Link
30 minutes
Be at the gate, ready to board. Doors close 10 minutes before departure – once they close you'll be denied boarding."
"Arrival at Gate
You must be at the gate and ready to board the aircraft:
15 minutes prior to scheduled departure for flights departing from points -within- the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands
30 minutes prior to scheduled departure for flights departing from points -outside- the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands, i.e., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Central/South America, Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda"
For gate arrival, AA states: "Recommended before your flight: Link
30 minutes
Be at the gate, ready to board. Doors close 10 minutes before departure – once they close you'll be denied boarding."
GUIDE: AA Boarding Priority, Order and Related Issues (as of 2018)
Jul 22, 2017, 4:12 pm
#211
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: USA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 652
Last week, #123 DFW-HNL, 777-200. I think we were at A-23. AAgents explained boarding procedures throughly. There was one CK, who they preboarded by name and two elderly preboards. Gate lice was not bad at all. No overt crowding. Two gentlemen were lined up very early at the front of the Priority 1-4 line. When Group 1 was called, we and other others followed behind them. Agent to both of them, "Gentlemen, you are in Group 2" And sent them back..
Aug 28, 2017, 8:19 am
#212
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 174
paid $29 during OLCI for exit row seat, why did I get boarding group 8?
I just did OLCI from my AA flight(A320) tomorrow. Since I rarely fly AA and have no status, I paid the $29 to select the exit row 11 seat. The flight looked to be about 90% full.
It seems like I'm not having any luck with exit row seats these days.(in case anyone read my post on UA from yesterday)
I hit the "print" button and my boarding pass printed out. I was amused that it said boarding group 8 (Eight). The seat number was the correct exit row seat that I picked. It does say "exit" under the seat number.
Like I said, I rarely fly AA and didn't even know that their boarding group was that high. Turns out I'm wrong. There's also group 9 for basic economy.
I figured that it was their system mistake, so I did a test by changing my seat to the other side of the aisle, but still in the exit row 11. I then printed the boarding pass again. Hmmmm... still boarding group 8. My original ticket was purchased online about a week ago and it's not basic economy(or else I would have gotten group 9, right?)
What am I doing wrong here?
It seems like I'm not having any luck with exit row seats these days.(in case anyone read my post on UA from yesterday)
I hit the "print" button and my boarding pass printed out. I was amused that it said boarding group 8 (Eight). The seat number was the correct exit row seat that I picked. It does say "exit" under the seat number.
Like I said, I rarely fly AA and didn't even know that their boarding group was that high. Turns out I'm wrong. There's also group 9 for basic economy.
I figured that it was their system mistake, so I did a test by changing my seat to the other side of the aisle, but still in the exit row 11. I then printed the boarding pass again. Hmmmm... still boarding group 8. My original ticket was purchased online about a week ago and it's not basic economy(or else I would have gotten group 9, right?)
What am I doing wrong here?
Aug 28, 2017, 8:26 am
#214
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,724
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ar-2017-a.html
You haven't done anything wrong. For someone in coach with no status, not on a basic economy ticket, the assigned groups are 6-8.
You haven't done anything wrong. For someone in coach with no status, not on a basic economy ticket, the assigned groups are 6-8.
Aug 28, 2017, 8:30 am
#215
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Here and there
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,551
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ar-2017-a.html
You haven't done anything wrong. For someone in coach with no status, not on a basic economy ticket, the assigned groups are 6-8.
You haven't done anything wrong. For someone in coach with no status, not on a basic economy ticket, the assigned groups are 6-8.
Aug 28, 2017, 8:32 am
#216
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,724
Aug 28, 2017, 2:43 pm
#217
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 174
Here's where I get confused. AA's website shows Group 5 as "Preferred Boarding" for people who purchase Main Cabin Extra.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ng-process.jsp
I paid $29 for the exit row 11 seat on the A320. The receipt that AA emailed me also shows that I purchased Main Cabin Extra.... so why doesn't my boarding pass put me in boarding group 5?
I guess it'ts another case of airline not following their own printed policy?
Aug 31, 2017, 1:48 pm
#219
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: AA - Plat, HHonors - Diamond, IHG - Plat, Marriott - Gold, National - Exec, Amtrak - Select, NEXUS
Posts: 1,075
Yes, everyone in coach randomly chooses straws with the numbers 6 - 8 on them before boarding.
Or, the computer chooses pseudorandom numbers for all coach (ahem, "Main Cabin") flyers and then assigns them groups 6 - 8 based on the numbers.
Or, there is some opaque algorithm that we don't know that AA uses.
In other words - you get what they assign.
Or, the computer chooses pseudorandom numbers for all coach (ahem, "Main Cabin") flyers and then assigns them groups 6 - 8 based on the numbers.
Or, there is some opaque algorithm that we don't know that AA uses.
In other words - you get what they assign.
Aug 31, 2017, 2:10 pm
#221
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: SNA/LAX, PHL
Programs: AA Gold, AS MVP, WN A-List, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Exp, Hertz PC
Posts: 449
So is it not 6 - OLCI, 7 - Self-CI, 8 - Agent anymore?
I flew a couple of times between 3/1 and hitting Gold. Always did OLCI. Always got Group 6.
I flew a couple of times between 3/1 and hitting Gold. Always did OLCI. Always got Group 6.
Aug 31, 2017, 2:26 pm
#222
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Aspen, CO
Posts: 792
To be honest, I'm not really sure - I saw that somewhere a few months ago and assumed that was how they determine boarding groups. Either way, with everyone now being elite/airline credit card holders, 3/4 of the plane is already boarded by the time they hit group 6! 
Aug 31, 2017, 4:15 pm
#223
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 174
I went up to the gate agent and asked.(about 10 minutes before boarding started)
She looked at my boarding pass and told me to step aside and wait. I figured she was just going to re-print a new boarding pass with the correct boarding group for people like me who purchased Main Cabin Extra seats(including exit row). That would have made too much sense.... right?
No.. instead, I watched her pick up the PA mic and announced boarding was starting... She motioned me over, scanned my original boarding pass with the wrong boarding group(8), the told me to have a good flight... so I ended up being the FIRST PERSON to board the plane!
Now that I think about it, she probably did it that way because it was much easier than having to force the system to re-issue a new boarding pass with the correct boarding group. Who says AAgents aren't nice people? ^
She looked at my boarding pass and told me to step aside and wait. I figured she was just going to re-print a new boarding pass with the correct boarding group for people like me who purchased Main Cabin Extra seats(including exit row). That would have made too much sense.... right?
No.. instead, I watched her pick up the PA mic and announced boarding was starting... She motioned me over, scanned my original boarding pass with the wrong boarding group(8), the told me to have a good flight... so I ended up being the FIRST PERSON to board the plane!
Now that I think about it, she probably did it that way because it was much easier than having to force the system to re-issue a new boarding pass with the correct boarding group.
Who says AAgents aren't nice people? ^
Sep 6, 2017, 3:31 pm
#224
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
My girlfriend and I were flying earlier this week. I, Platinum, and her, ADV, were on the same reservation with seats in the exit row. Even though we hadn't purchased her exit row seats, she got Group 4 boarding with "PRIORITY" on the BP.
Sep 15, 2017, 1:48 pm
#225
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,435
Question RE: Boarding order
When I purchase AA tickets, I usually use a Citi Executive credit card, which puts me in boarding group 4 (I have no status)
But now I have an upcoming business trip that the company booked for me on their corporate card, so I get no boarding benefits. 2-class cabin.
In a case like this, does it benefit me to check in exactly at T-24 the day before? Is that the difference between 5 and 8 or 9, God forbid?
I do have Admirals Club membership as part of the Citi Executive card, but I don't think that will help me unless I used that card to purchase the ticket. (and in this case, I didn't)
But now I have an upcoming business trip that the company booked for me on their corporate card, so I get no boarding benefits. 2-class cabin.
In a case like this, does it benefit me to check in exactly at T-24 the day before? Is that the difference between 5 and 8 or 9, God forbid?
I do have Admirals Club membership as part of the Citi Executive card, but I don't think that will help me unless I used that card to purchase the ticket. (and in this case, I didn't)