AdBoy

Good news:

BA forced into U-turn over T5 Club check-in

British Airways is to add dedicated check-in at Heathrow's Terminal 5 for its passengers in Club World and Club Europe in an embarrassing U-turn. Until now, only passengers travelling in first class or gold members of the airline’s frequent flyer programme Executive Club have had their own facilities.

A BA spokesman told businesstravelworld.com: “It follows feedback from our premium customers. We have previously done the same in our other terminals.”

Club passengers currently have to share their check-in desks with passengers in World Traveller Plus and Economy. "Passengers can choose any kiosk, check-in desk or bag drop. Terminal 5 was designed for speed and ease," said the spokesman.

The airline will also add an additional business class lounge in Terminal 5 B and add extra facilities to help business class customers with ticket presentation at security.

27R

Excellent. Although it's yet another T5 promise that hasn't been delivered on - no need for a Club check in.

The Saint

Well, that's excellent news for all the DYKWIA* crowd.

These will be the sort of people who will walk past an empty Economy check-in desk in order to join a queue at the special Club check-in.

* 2nd Division, but aspiring.

bjorns

To be fair, BA did say, before the opening of T5, that if there was a need of a dedicated Club check-in, they would reconsider their original decision.

bjorns

OPebble

The T5B lounge has always been there, was just never opening until T4 closed (as far as BA concerned).

Tried investigating last time I had an early flight to FRA (which went from T5B) and got BAA gooned! "Where do you think you're going then?"

Genius1

I had an inkling that such a turnaround may be in the works - the plans of the refurbishment of the BA area of JFK T7 show dedicated Club World/Silver check-in (along with the new First/Gold drive through check-in).

I wonder how they will segregate the Club area in T5 - will it be like the First area and be walled in, or more open - jut ropes, perhaps?

TravellerFrequently

Thanks for the good news and welcome to FlyerTalk, AdBoy!

jplondon

What does tihs mean? Sticker on boarding pass or so?

SchmeckFlyer

It's a shame they did not consider this when planning and building T5, rather than clinging to the notion that everything would be so fast and efficient, there would be no need for dedicated check-in. Now up go the ugly and pseudo-permanent make-shift partitions and ropes, that turn an otherwise fine piece of architecture into just another terminal.

It would nice, if there was no need for dedicated check-in, however. If only to watch (and hear) ego's deflating at the prospect of joining the lines (or lack thereof, anyway).

TravellerFrequently

It really is bizarre that such facilities were not provided from the beginning, even if they thought the terminal would work perfectly

Surely they know that premium passengers expect special facilities, even if it does not make a huge difference in terms of speed- is that not what they are banking on by providing these classes at higher fares?

baggageinhall

If ALL the Fast Bag Drops were manned, or even a significant majority, the throughput would be sufficient to obviate the need for a CW area.

Eg last Saturday

Arrived at 7.00 for the 8.40 to Lyon
Queued from 7.01 to 7.55 to 'Fast Bag Drop'

(i) approximately 50% of the desks were open. The shortest queue was 20 people deep.

(ii) people were sauntering into the terminal, looking at the queue and then turning to the nearest helper exclaiming that their flight was in 45mins. Helper then gets them taken to the front of the queue

(iii) whilst the Lagos, Moscow and St P flights are assigned zones, others with potential difficulties are not. The person two front of us is going to TIP. He has a visa in Arabic with no English translation. BA staff member does not know what to do. Others round her are similarly clueless. Now all three BA staff in a row have TIP bound passengers. They are unable to get help.

(iv) chavs in front of us spend 5 minutes whinging about the queue. BA staff starts to argue back. When I ask if they (the chavs) can continue this another time, I am told to 'something off' (where 'something' rhymes with 'duck')

TechnoOenology

For goodness sake...

What other major airline, does not have business class check in at its hub?

Of course, online/kiosk etc is possible, but for premium customers paying more per flight than the check in staff earn per month - this is simple courtesy, not to mention the fact that many people on flexible/refundable itineraries have complex flight plans that don't lend themselves to automated kiosks- it was a stupid idea to do away with club check in. Pax paying over the odds for a premium service should be made to feel welcome and helped on their journey by a person, not a machine. Good on BA for having the sense to back down.

Techno (techno by name but still a luddite when it comes to customer service)

Cabin Boy

Hoi polloi are such a pain, thanks be for snobbery
Paying for Club and using Y desks, almost daylight robbery

Keep them separate, keep them away
Keep them far from me
Club World check in desks
Essential not a luxury

Copyright 2008 Cabin Boy inc. All rights reserved. All Saints “Never Ever”

Greg66

When when when?

Before 1 August?

obs

Can it be by the 31st July please. I would like to have a bit of class snobbery on my next CE flight to BUD.