British Airways is set to offer passengers a unique experience by addressing issues that typically occur at their destination while they’re still airborne. Thousands of passengers have already been part of the trial for this new process, which tackles lost luggage and missed connections before the holiday even begins.
Instead of enduring long waits at the baggage carousel and frustrating encounters with lost luggage staff at their destination, passengers might face mid-flight interruptions. Those with connecting flights could even potentially avoid chaos at their layover airport if they’ve missed their connection.
The Daily Star reports that a software exclusively developed for BA by Microsoft will notify cabin crew in-flight if a bag hasn’t been loaded onto the plane. The crew can then inform the affected passengers before they reach their destination.
They’ll record the address where the passenger wants their bags couriered to and could even provide immediate compensation, similar to the service passengers currently receive from the lost luggage desk at airports. This could save a lot of time and alleviate the stress of a long wait at baggage claim.
Additionally, over 10,000 BA passengers have been part of a trial for a similar process concerning flight issues. The same software also notifies on-board staff if any passengers currently on the plane will miss their connecting flights by the time they land.
The crew will inform the passenger while still on the flight and discuss rebooking or other options to get them to their final destination. Much like the mid-air lost luggage procedure, passengers could be offered a “gesture of goodwill” payment too.
Sean Doyle, the airline’s chief executive, stated this advancement will be “a complete leapfrog from where we are today”. Doyle initially announced the development at the 2023 Airlines conference in London.
At that time, the chief executive noted that in-flight managers were “thrilled” with the technology. He also disclosed that the airline would be addressing accessibility issues as well.
He highlighted another initiative testing wheelchairs that, once secured onboard, transform into aircraft seats. He added: “We have made a lot of progress this year with our airport mobility providers.”
Passengers using Apple devices could be getting ahead in the lost luggage game this year. Over 15 airlines including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have signed up to a system that will enable passengers to track their baggage through Apple AirTags.
According to The Mirror, airlines will start utilising Apple’s ‘Find My’ feature this year to expedite the process of locating and retrieving lost luggage. SITA, a global air transport technology firm, also plans to incorporate this feature into their worldwide baggage-tracking system, which covers 2,800 airports and 500 airlines.