hqly2001

I'm flying AA for the first time tomorrow and have the AA Platinum select card. Will they specifically call people with Platinum cards to board or you just boar with the premiere frequent flyers? Do I just show them my platinum card when they call boarding to board early? I heard AA changed boarding process so that people without overhead luggage can board in 2, is that the case for all flights?

hi-guy

AA boards by "group" number. IIRC, AA Platinum Select card will be group 5, unless you have frequent flyer status or qualify for pre-boarding. It will be reflected on your boarding pass (mobile or paper).

tigerhunt2011

Citi should be sued for advertising Group 5 boarding as a "benefit" of the card. Without status, but with the card, in Y, you board with Group 5 instead of Group 6. I've noticed it can make a difference on overhead space, but still a total slap in the face and NOT a benefit

dw

I personally think it's more honest now. They used to call it "Group 1" when it was still in practice the fourth or fifth group to board.

Also, boarding groups for main cabin flyers without status or AA credit cards can be 6, 7 or 8 (with Group 9 for Basic Economy), so yes, being able to board in Group 5 can make a big difference when it comes to finding space for your bag vs having to check it.

lwildernorva

Agreed. I have never needed to fight for space or have my bag gate checked when boarding with Group 5. Maybe there are some flights where Groups 1-4 constitute a larger group than on the flights I've taken in the last five to seven years, but for the most part, the scrum is behind me, not before I board the plane.

sdsearch

Here's the complete boarding group chart:

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ng-process.jsp

As you can see, there are a couple special cases where you can be in the main cabin but be further up than the group 5 the card gives you. Besides active military with ID (which you either are or aren't), there's Main Cabin Extra, which you can choose to pay extra for (but which is still technically in the main cabin) or where you may be assigned (for free) at the gate if you didn't get a seat assignment in advance. Main Cabin Extra (without status) is group 4.

This implies that if you always book Main Cabin Extra seats, then your boarding group from the Citi Plat card is "irrelevant".

This chart also shows that anyone who holds the Citi Exec card (either instead of or in addition to a Citi Plat card) is one group higher, at group 4.