The self-check in is common across many airlines, and actually I don't think it's really a problem, particularly given most people will check-in at home anyway. QF do it very effectively in Australia (for all passengers, irrespective of class of travel/status), where the key is to have airline staff around to help in the event of a problem. I happened to need assistance on every internal QF flight I had a few months ago when I couldn't check-in on the website, app or at the machines, and I found it a very efficient and pro-active process. BA would need to commit to providing the support staff, but given how many people they could free from desks it hardly sounds like rocket science to do that. Much like the tube, where ticket offices are being phased out in favour of getting staff on to the floor to help, I'd much prefer a situation where I'm seen quickly and assisted if there's a problem rather than be stuck behind a queue of people who want to go to a desk simply because they can.

The American airlines, across all alliances, have done self check-in and tagging for years. It was introduced at T2 at LHR when it opened, and I think there's general agreement that it's much quicker and easier to get airside there than at T5. Now admittedly when I attended one of the trial days and had to try and print a tag it didn't go well, but that's what happens when you give someone who only ever travels HBO a task to complete that they're completely unfamiliar with! Again, though, even during that proving period there were staff on hand to assist and all was well, and I suspect now it's even more streamlined.

The home printing bit I simply don't buy in respect of being suitable for BA, particularly at T5 - it would doubtless cause havoc with the automated baggage scanning systems.