A boarding procedure quietly implemented in May by American Airlines is being met with frustration by its flight attendants.
Rather than the familiar method of loading from the rear seats, the airline is now assigning passengers to boarding groups based on "the customer’s cabin, frequent flier status and other factors," according to an airline spokesperson.
Some published reports have said the boarding order is also based on passengers' check-in time, regardless of their assigned seat. A Bloomberg report said that the new process shrinks the number of boarding groups from 10 to six, and spreads passengers throughout the cabin when they board.
But the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents AA's cabin crews, said that the procedure has resulted in "complete chaos" prior to takeoff.
"More often than not, the result is congested aisles and flight attendants having to explain to bewildered and already stressed passengers why there is complete chaos in the cabin," the union said on its website.
It also said that flight attendants reported that requests by gate agents to begin the boarding processing early were on the rise as a result of the new policy.
The AA spokesperson said, "We are already seeing tangible, positive results from our new boarding process, including a 5% to 10% improvement in boarding times.
"Our airport employees and customers are telling us they appreciate the calmer, quieter boarding environment, and our premium customers value the ability to board with the first group."