American will favor passengers without roller bags

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) ― In a quest to speed up the boarding process, American Airlines is letting passengers board sooner if they travel light.

The airline said that people carrying just a personal item that fits under the seat ― no rolling suitcases ― will be allowed to board before most other passengers.

American said that the change will allow flights to take off sooner, helping the airline improve its on-time performance.

Airline officials say boarding times have increased in the last few years. The airlines have created this problem by cutting back flights, which makes planes more crowded, and also charging fees for checking baggage, which encourages passengers to haul their luggage on board.

The result can be sharp-elbowed competition for scarce bin space that leads to short tempers among passengers and flight attendants.