United Airlines Updates Boarding Procedures

Fuller flights are a boon to airlines but overcrowding at gates has become an unwelcome side effect. United Airlines says its customers have complained about clusters of travelers around its gates. Travelers spilled into corridors and arriving passengers who just stepped off a flight were met with hordes of departing travelers.

After reportedly conducting 12,000 test runs, United is changed its boarding process to cut down on congestion around gates, says CNBC. The airline, which carries around 155 million passengers, is slimming its five-line boarding system to two and only allowing passengers to board with their group shown on their ticket. It is also sending out push notifications about boarding being open only after the first ticket is scanned. The boarding process at gates has suffered as passengers, put off by additional fees, seek to board earlier to jostle for overhead bin space.