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)
#256
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: AA - Plat, HHonors - Diamond, IHG - Plat, Marriott - Gold, National - Exec, Amtrak - Select, NEXUS
Posts: 1,075
Let's play "Why is she in Group 4?"
So Mrs. pa3lsvt and I are flying to TPA for a wedding this weekend.
I am PLAT, she is DIRT, I have the AAdvantage Citi Platinum Card.
I booked two sAAver coach (T) fares on an A321 and chose seats 10A for her and 10B for me, which are Exit Row/MCE seats.
I checked in last night and can't figure out how she got assigned Group 4 (I am in my normal Group 3, so this exercise is all theory since she is boarding with my group in practice):
(from the Wiki)
Group 4 - Gold (NO) / Air Pass (NO) / Executive Citi credit card (NO) / Alaska MVP (wouldn't matter now anyway, but NO) / purchased Priority Boarding (NO)
The way I see it, she *should* be in Group 5 since she is in MCE and is the travelling companion for a Citi Platinum cardholder (either one should apply), but doesn't qualify for any of the lower numbered groups and definitely not Group 4.
So Mrs. pa3lsvt and I are flying to TPA for a wedding this weekend.
I am PLAT, she is DIRT, I have the AAdvantage Citi Platinum Card.
I booked two sAAver coach (T) fares on an A321 and chose seats 10A for her and 10B for me, which are Exit Row/MCE seats.
I checked in last night and can't figure out how she got assigned Group 4 (I am in my normal Group 3, so this exercise is all theory since she is boarding with my group in practice):
(from the Wiki)
Group 4 - Gold (NO) / Air Pass (NO) / Executive Citi credit card (NO) / Alaska MVP (wouldn't matter now anyway, but NO) / purchased Priority Boarding (NO)
The way I see it, she *should* be in Group 5 since she is in MCE and is the travelling companion for a Citi Platinum cardholder (either one should apply), but doesn't qualify for any of the lower numbered groups and definitely not Group 4.
#257
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: BOS
Programs: AA PP, DL PM
Posts: 2,086
I've seen that happen too. The best explanation I've come up with is that my receipt always shows "Priority Boarding - $0.00" as an elite benefit, which also applies to companions on the same PNR. So it counts as "purchased" priority boarding.
#258
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: AA - Plat, HHonors - Diamond, IHG - Plat, Marriott - Gold, National - Exec, Amtrak - Select, NEXUS
Posts: 1,075
I suspected that as it was the only thing that could even possibly apply.
#259
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
Do pax in the same PNR inherit boarding priority? Me, my wife, and her mother are traveling tomorrow in W MIA-MAD on same PNR. I am group 2 (EXP) and they are 4. Is that correct? Thanks.
#260
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,241
yes. And if they do not on the BP (for whatever reason), they can board with you anyways.
#261
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: EGGX <-> CZQX
Programs: AA CK, UA GS, DL 360, B6 Mosaic
Posts: 414
A little quirk: it can take a few days for your status to post to the ticketing system vs. online/loyalty. I qualified for Platinum one week, status updated on aa.com, two days later, still Gold. I asked the agent, showed her my app, and she let me on with group 3.
#262
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,241
What you need to do is call AA and have them remove your AAdvantage number and re-add it. Then it takes your status. Similarly if you lose status it still shows the old one from when it was booked for a while.
#263
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: AA - Plat, HHonors - Diamond, IHG - Plat, Marriott - Gold, National - Exec, Amtrak - Select, NEXUS
Posts: 1,075
You are allowed to board together in the lowest boarding group, regardless of being on the PNR together or displaying a higher boarding group, as you have noted.
When we are both in Y (same PNR and separate PNR), the better half boards with my Group 3.
When we fly in separate cabins (and this is always separate PNR), I board with her Group 1.
#264
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
#266
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
Personally I usually board as late as possible. It's true that I rarely have a carry-on, but I don't see any urgent reason to spend a minute longer on board than I have to. If I'm in F I'll often board early, but on the other hand, I can get one last free drink in the Amex lounge or one first free drink on the plane, so who cares? If I had a carry-on it would probably be different. I think I'm usually in group 3 or 4; honestly I don't usually look.
#267
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
Group 2 PHL-JFK ft. 4103 Question
I flew ZRH-PHL-JFK on 7/9/18. For the PHL-JFK on AA Eagle (all Y), I was in Group 2. At the start of boarding they called CK, then Group 1--no one stepped to the "plate", for Group 2 I was the only one. I'm EXP and the ftl. had NO FC, so who would have been in Group 1.
I'm asking this ques. out of curiosity...the plane is so "tiny", boarding order should not really be a concern.
I'm asking this ques. out of curiosity...the plane is so "tiny", boarding order should not really be a concern.
#268
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
I flew ZRH-PHL-JFK on 7/9/18. For the PHL-JFK on AA Eagle (all Y), I was in Group 2. At the start of boarding they called CK, then Group 1--no one stepped to the "plate", for Group 2 I was the only one. I'm EXP and the ftl. had NO FC, so who would have been in Group 1.
I'm asking this ques. out of curiosity...the plane is so "tiny", boarding order should not really be a concern.
I'm asking this ques. out of curiosity...the plane is so "tiny", boarding order should not really be a concern.
#269
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291