To save travel time before the plane even leaves the gate, two U.S. carriers are piloting new boarding systems this summer travel season.

According to researchers from Northern Illinois University, every extra minute a plane sits idle at the gate adds $30 in costs, and about one in four U.S. flights run at least 15 minutes late. Multiplied by thousands of flights each day, those extra minutes quickly add up for the industry.

Delta Air Lines is testing a program in which airline employees offer to take carry-on bags at the gate and load them above passengers’ assigned seats before boarding begins in order to see if its own employees can load the bins faster.

Called Early Valet, the service was tested in Atlanta and Los Angeles and it reduced boarding time. This summer, Delta is offering Early Valet through August on select departures from the carrier’s busiest airports, including Atlanta (ATL), New York (LGA), Los Angeles (LAX), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP), Salt Lake City (SLC) and Seattle (SEA).

Unlike the majority of other carriers, Southwest Airlines does not offer assigned seats and instead has passengers pick their seat once they are on the plane after lining up at the gate by group. The system allows families to board together after the first group, but only with children up to age 4.

To avoid having flight attendants ask other passengers to move in order to accommodate older children or families that don’t arrive to the gate on time, Southwest is testing expanding family boarding to include children up to 6, 8 or 11 years. According to the airline, it is currently surveying customers on whether or not the expansion improves the overall experience for everyone and expects to make a decision in a few weeks.

Do you believe these new initiatives can speed up the boarding process? Are you interested in trying either? Email us. Please include your full name and location with your email.