BA flies past self-service goals

More than 80 per cent of short haul passengers use self-service check-in

More than 80 per cent of short haul passengers travelling with British Airways (BA) through Heathrow Terminal 4 last week used online check-in or self service kiosks.

This is ahead of its schedule for 80 per cent of short and long haul passengers to use self-service technology when Heathrow Terminal 5 opens in March, 2008.

BA chief information officer Paul Coby says reaching the 80 per cent milestone is a significant achievement and one it hopes to build on.

‘Reaching it ahead of plan is a great vindication of both ba.com and the new processes we have designed for T5,’ he said. ‘In addition, we have also just broken the barrier of 90 per cent of all tickets issued being e-tickets.

‘I believe we are breaking records in the aviation industry in our drive to become the first truly paperless network airline.’

The airline recently revamped its web site to make it easier and quicker for customers to plan, book and manage travel arrangements themselves.

The changes include a new look and updated content, with the site now simpler to navigate and information easier to find. More than 1000 pages have been reviewed and more than 500 re-written to be clearer, more concise and user-friendly.

BA.com general manager Carsten Willert says providing greater clarity on what can be done on-line will enable customers to see how they can save time at the airport.
‘This includes carrying out tasks such as checking in, printing their boarding passes and providing their APIS details before their flight,’ he said.

BA began urging domestic travellers to use self-service check-in earlier this year and has just launched a new campaign to encourage customers flying to Europe to do the same.

It has added 24 self-service kiosks in Heathrow Terminals 1 and 4. Kiosk software has been updated to make them more user-friendly with clearer screens, automatic check-in for onward flights and an improved itinerary confirmation screen.

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