Delta Air Lines Employees to Load Passenger Carry-On Bags

— -- The waiting that comes along with boarding a plane is painful. But Delta Air Lines’ "bag valet" might just help speed up the process.

The program is being rolled out now and could change the way travelers board their flights this summer. A Delta employee would take your carry-on bag and place it in the overhead bin above your assigned seat before you step foot on the plane.

"It's absolutely a win for passengers," said Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare. "It's a win for flight attendants, it's a win for the pilots to get home."

Delta doesn't plan to charge for the service but the airline could make money anyway. If passengers board sooner, the aircraft can depart sooner. One estimate from Northern Illinois University suggests every extra minute at the gate costs an airline $30. If a flight is 15 minutes late, that's $450 that could have been saved.

The service began Monday on two dozen flights, Delta spokeswoman Morgan Durrant told The Associated Press. It will be available through August only on flights that typically have a high number of vacationers. Delta tested the process last summer in Atlanta and Los Angeles and saw some reduction in boarding time, Durrant said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.