FORT WORTH, Texas – If you’re traveling light, you can board earlier on American Airlines.

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

Additional Photos

A passenger with a rolling suitcase walks through an American Airlines baggage claim area at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago in 2011. 2011 Associated Press File

American said the change will speed up the boarding process and allow flights to take off sooner, helping the airline improve its on-time performance.

Airlines have seen a buildup in boarding times since they began charging fees for checked baggage as more people fight for limited space in overhead bins.

American tested the new boarding procedure at several airports earlier this year and began applying it to all flights Thursday. Passengers carrying just a personal item — a purse, backpack or computer bag that will fit under the seat — will board right after Group 1 premium passengers and before boarding groups 2, 3 and 4.

The airline said that it will let passengers check a carry-on bag at the gate at no charge. That means savvy travelers will be able to move up in the boarding order and avoid checked-bag fees — $25 for the first bag, $35 for a second on flights within the United States — although they’ll have to retrieve their bag at baggage claim after they land.

Kevin Doeksen, director of customer planning for American, said the change speeds up boarding, because fewer passengers stop in the aisle to hoist a bag into the overhead bins.

The difference is about two minutes per flight, “which doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up throughout the day,” he said.

If the change results in fewer big bags being rolled on the plane, it could reduce the number of flights on which the overhead bins fill up.

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