British Airways Offers its customers a new fast bag-drop before check-in to avoid queues

British Airways has teamed up with AirPortr to create new convenient fast bag drop areas before heading to the departures concourse at British Airways’ London flagship Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport.

With the first drop-off point planned at the Heathrow Express train platforms, customers will be able to quickly and securely drop-off their luggage at peak times**, before travelling bag-free straight through to security. AirPortr’s team seal, secure, and check in bags for customers’ flights, before being collected from the reclaim at their destination.

Customers can also choose to book luggage collections from their home address, from £19*. This service allows travellers to check in their bags from the comfort of their own doorstep, with a vetted delivery driver. AirPortr ensures that once collected, bags are sealed and monitored throughout the delivery process.

Passengers can track their luggage online from the moment it leaves their doorstep, or at the T5 key access areas, right up to the bag being loaded onto the aircraft. Customers using the services also receive digital bag tag receipts.

Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Customer Experience said: “Ahead of July 19, we have been busy investigating and trialling ways to ensure that we can offer our customers the smoothest journey through the airport possible.

We believe this contactless initiative with AirPortr allows our customers to avoid baggage check-in queues and move through the airport without the hassle of carrying luggage, as well as offering the reassurance that we are doing everything we can to ensure the safe delivery of their bags from doorstep to destination.”

Randel Darby, CEO and Founder of AirPortr Technologies said: “We’re proud to be able to play our part in helping British Airways and its customers with the restart of international travel this summer. Seamless, contact-free journeys through the airport are in everyone’s best interests and removing bags from the equation makes this possible for many more people. As the specialist in this space, we’re excited to be working with British Airways once again to lead development of innovative new baggage solutions, for the benefit of customers travelling in a post-pandemic world.”

As well as the AirPortr’s luggage service, British Airways also offers a special twilight baggage drop service the night before travel from Heathrow Terminal 5, when customers are able to deliver their bags to the airport terminal between 4 and 9pm the day before they travel.

The airline is continuing to explore how it integrates other technologies to further streamline the customer experience, including trialling digital travel apps to ensure customers meet the entry requirements for their destination before arriving at the airport. Customers can currently use VeriFLY on all flights to the US, Canada and France as well as on all inbound flights. The airline has also recently announced its involvement in IATA’s Travel Pass. The digital travel solution will begin on British Airways’ flights from Heathrow to Geneva and Zurich.

British Airways’ customers travelling to Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, can now also upload their negative Covid-19 test result and other documentation directly into ba.com for verification before travel.

Elsewhere the airline is trialling new intelligent queuing technology from Qmatic, that enables customers to virtually queue at check-in by pre-booking their slot time in advance of arriving at the airport.

Notes to Editors:
• *Doorstep bag collection: Bags can be collected from any address within AirPortr’s Service Area. Check the map to see if a postcode is included. Bookings can be made online from £19.
• ** Peak times are from 0500-1000
• Bookings must be made for bags to be collected at an agreed time, within 24 hours of departure. Changes and cancellations are free up to 3 hours before collection.
• Fast bag drop points are provided free of charge to British Airways customers that have checked-in online prior to reaching the airport, and are compliant with their booked baggage allowances

About AirPortr:
• AirPortr launched the world’s first airline-integrated home bag check-in and delivery service with British Airways in 2016
• The product transforms the pre-departure experience for customers, making travel to and through the airport more seamless than ever before
• Without bags, customers travel hands-free to and through the airport, and head straight to security on departure
• AirPortr is trusted by over 100,000 travellers a year in the UK, is rated 5/5 stars on global feedback engine Feefo, and has a flawless safety and reliability record.
• Participants must be present, have checked-in online, and have their passport to hand when their bags are collected
• Vetted and trained drivers seal and secure the customer’s baggage, and digitally validate their travel documents. Bags are then securely delivered into the airport’s baggage system
• Customers are kept informed on the progress of their bags at every step of the way by email, SMS or in the AirPortr web-app, and can track them at any time.
• Collection slots have limited availability, customers are therefore advised to book early
• Standard airline baggage allowances apply, as per fare rules.