British Airways Plc, BA

British Airways welcomes interline colleagues travelling on our flights. Here are some tips to help to make your journey with us pleasant and enjoyable.

The information below was last updated on 31 January 2019.

** Important information **

BA510-BA524 operated by Iberia

With effect from 25th October, all Iberia flights ex-LHR to MAD will revert to IB flight numbers.  This means you can book, ticket and travel on these as per any other IB flight in accordance with your concurrence.

OpenSkies switches to LEVEL

The Paris (ORY) to New York (EWR) services operated by OpenSkies for British Airways will cease operation on Sunday 2^nd September, with the final BA8003/8004 rotation. From then onwards services will be operated by OpenSkies for LEVEL under an LV flight code, which will not form part of the BA agreement.

On an ongoing basis, BA expects  to operate some short-haul flights to and from London Gatwick (LGW) and Heathrow (LHR) using Titan, Germania, Aer Lingus, Neos S.p.A and PrivatAir aircraft.

BA will operate the following routes, flight numbers and dates using Air Belgium aircraft:

London Heathrow to Dubai BA105 - 01 Nov 2018 to 30 Mar 2019

Dubai to London Heathrow BA104 - 02 Nov 2018 to 31 Mar 2019

London Heathrow to Newark BA185 - 01 Apr 2019 to 08 Jun 2019

Newark to London Heathrow BA184 - 01 Apr 2019 to 8 Jun 2019

Selling systems will have a disclosure, e.g. ‘Operated by Air Belgium for British Airways’.

BA CityFlyer (CJ) have leased two aircraft based at London City Airport, from Stobart Air (RE) to operate throughout the Winter 18 and Summer 19 seasons.  Flights can be identified by the disclosure 'Operated by RE on behalf of CJ'.  

From 1 September 2018, BA flights between the Isle of Man and London City will be operated by partner airline Loganair.  

Please be assured that all the flights above continue to be eligible for travel under your agreement with BA.

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Ticketing

BA requires that you issue standby e-tickets in M class, in order to match the class that we will use to list you on BA flights.  Our check-in system is not able to process tickets that have a class mismatch.

We can no longer accept e-tickets closed to another airline on routes we both operate - all tickets must be closed to BA.

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Flight listing policy and procedures

Listing is required for all flights. Passengers without a listing will be refused travel.

For travel on flights operated by BA, BA CityFlyer and the BA Franchisees (Sun-Air and Comair), listings must be made via https://idtravel.ba.com

Please list at least 48 hours in advance and we recommend no earlier than 96 hours.  There is a lot of manual work-arounds that we are having to do in the background due to our new check-in system in order to make you "check-in ready".  If you are listing within 24 hours of departure or outside 96 hours you may experience difficulties at check-in since we will have been unable to make those necessary adjustments during the relatively short window of opportunity we have.

Our listing site will continue to reject users for valid reasons (incorrectly issued ticket, etc).  If this is the case please refer back to your own staff travel office.

For the time-being, we still ask that you make a new listing if you need to amend your travel plans, rather than manage any existing listing you have made as the manage functionality is not working as it should.  We ask that you cancel the unwanted listing rather than create a dupe.

If you merely need to check loads for existing listings, it is possible to still use the manage process.

Using the web-site

BA cannot accept coupons for different airport pairs.  The airport pair on your coupon must match the flight on which you wish to travel.

We are not able to process listings for tickets that have coupons featuring other airlines.  

Please be sure to complete the Flight Choices section on the web-site: this gives our check-in system information to help us allocate seats, for example, whether you are prepared to split across cabins or across flights if you are travelling with other people on the same ticket type.

If you have any problems using the site, please check that your eticket has been correctly issued.  If you are sure your eticket is correct, and are still having problems, please advise your Staff Travel office.

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Visas and Passports and API

Please remember that for international travel, each passenger must have a valid passport, and must have relevant visas for the destination, and for scheduled points en route, in case off-loading becomes necessary.

Also, some countries require Advance Passenger Information (API), and BA requires that this must be provided before check-in, using the Manage My Booking section of ba.com.

USA: (Secure Flight data) 
Please note that with immediate effect, our listing website will collect the following data items for all travel to or from the USA before the listing is created:
Gender, First name (as on passport), Last name (as on passport), Date of birth.   
This information is sent to the USA authority 72 hours before departure, or at the time of listing if that is within 72 hours.

In addition to API, the USA requires all Visa Waiver passengers to have completed the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application, ideally at least 72 hours before departure.  You do not need to enter travel details or address in the USA, and if approved, the authorisation is valid for two years, so it is worth applying well in advance if you think you have any intention of travelling to the USA in the coming two years.  If you do not have the authorisation, you will not be able to travel on BA to the USA.  The link to the web-site, which does show who is included in the Visa Waiver programme, is:

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

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Embargoes

The standby listing web-site at https://idtravel.ba.com will not permit standby listings on embargoed flights. Alternatively, please check with your own staff travel office for information on any staff travel embargoes on BA flights.

The following information is correct as at the date shown at the top of this page:

There is a permanent embargo for all personal travel on all flights between LCY and JFK.  This is a business class service only.  (This embargo also applies to duty travel.)

During HAJJ, both duty and personal travel is embargoed to and from JED.

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Flights excluded

Code-shares:

The following routes are excluded from our agreement. The operating companies are shown.

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Baggage

For details, please see:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagchk/  

Checked baggage

Please note that once you have made a listing on BA (see Flight Listing section above), you can go to ba.com and check the baggage allowance for your specific flight.  It is essential to check that information, because that is the allowance which will apply, regardless of what may be on your ticket.

No single bag or piece of baggage will be accepted if it weighs more than 23 kg/51 lbs, regardless of the allowance applicable to the flight on which you are travelling.  If you have an item which exceeds that weight, you must re-pack into separate bags.  If this results in you exceeding the baggage allowance, you must pay any applicable excess baggage charges.

Duty travel checked baggage:

Your allowance will be in accordance with the type of ticket you are using.  JIDxxS1 will mean you are eligible to the business class allowance.  YIDxxS1 will mean you are eligible to the economy class allowance.

Cabin baggage

One medium bag, maximum dimensions 56 x 45x 25 cm (22 x 17.5 x 9.85 ins), maximum weight 23 kg/51 lbs (but you must be able to lift it into the overhead locker yourself).

Plus

One laptop bag OR one briefcase OR one handbag

Boarding policy

When there are two or more interline employees travelling on the same flight, the time of check-in at the station where you are boarding your flight will determine the onload/offload and the cabin upgrade/downgrade order.

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Check-in Personal or Duty Standby Travel

All airports with self-service check-in kiosks:

• Please present yourself at a self-service check-in kiosk at least 60 minutes before your scheduled flight departure.
• The kiosk will tell you what to do next, so please read the screen carefully.
• The kiosk will print a boarding pass, which will show your booking reference: this is key information, especially if you are not allocated a seat number by the kiosk.
• If the kiosk prints a boarding card with a seat number, this means you have been accepted for the flight; please go immediately to the fast bag drop desk and then through to the departures lounge and the gate.
• If the kiosk prints a boarding card without a seat number, the kiosk will tell you what to do next.

Additional information about Heathrow Terminal 5:

• You must present yourself at the ticket presentation point by 35 minutes before scheduled flight departure time.  This point is immediately before Security.

Check in: First port of call is the check-in kiosk 

If you are allocated a seat at the kiosk:

With bags to check - go to bag drop
Hand baggage only - go straight to Security unless travelling on an intercontinental flight, plus St Petersburg, Kiev or Moscow, when you should go to the Passport and Visa check desk in Zone C G or H.

If no seat is allocated at check in:

Get bags tagged at any Bag Drop desk.

Use the staff travel tracker tool on a mobile device or a computer available at desks E24-26 on the main concourse.

Visit https://idtravel.ba.com and click on "check onload status".  Enter your booking reference and flight number to view the onload status.

Information is available 2 hours before the time of departure and up to one hour after.

Once confirmed/accepted for travel, go to any bag drop desk to drop your tagged bags and have your boarding pass issued. Passengers with hand baggage only should also go to any bag drop desk for the boarding pass to be issued.

Passengers should then go straight to Security.

If you are not accepted for travel:

The tracker will advise that you have been automatically listed for the next flight to your destination if it is on the same day. If you do not want this you should go to desk E18 and advise.

If travel is the next day you must relist yourself online via https://idtravel.ba.com.

Additional information about Terminal 3:

Go to any eligible bag drop desk to check in and tag your bags  Note: there is no dedicated bag drop desk for staff passengers.

Check your onload status using the Staff Travel Tracker at https://idtravel.ba.com and click on "check onload status". 

Once onloaded please use any eligible bag drop desk to collect your boarding pass and drop your bags. 

If you have not been onloaded you will automatically be listed for the next flight if it is on the same day.

Use the Flight Management desks to discuss your options if not covered by the above.

British Airways’ services at London Gatwick  are now located in the South Terminal (LGW) 

Check in using a kiosk.

If allocated a seat, go to the Bag Drop.

If you are not allocated a seat, go to desk 263, in Zone A.  

If you are accepted for the flight, desk 263 will issue you with your boarding card and accept your bags.

If you are not accepted, you will be automatically listed for the next flight to your destination, if it is on the same day.

At Stansted:

There are no kiosks so check-in at a desk. If unable to offer you a seat immediately, you will be given a standby boarding card and will be able to standby at the gate.

All other airports:

If there is a desk signposted for standby travel, go to that desk.  If there is no signposted standby desk, go to the World Traveller or Euro Traveller desk.

Check-in Duty travel positive space:

Where kiosks don't exist check in at the counter for the class to which you are eligible, which will depend on whether you have JID..S1 - meaning business class, or YID..S1 - meaning economy.  At LHR T5, should you have an issue with acceptance, go to desk E18, in zone E. 

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Check-in times

To allow for the added security procedures now in place, please ensure that you have completed check-in formalities by 60 minutes before scheduled departure time

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Through check-in

Through check-in is not available to standby (or "space available") passengers. When planning your trip, please ensure you leave yourself enough time to land and check-in again at any intermediate point.

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Dress code

General

BA has a dress code which is applied to rebate passengers. 

You must be appropriately dressed and well-groomed when using Staff and Duty travel benefits. 

Colleagues (and nominees including children) are expected to use their best judgement when deciding what to wear for their journey. Regardless of which cabin you are in, please think of our fare-paying customers and show sensitivity towards them.

Today's customers often have a more relaxed approach to their own dress, and it's fair that BA colleagues should feel relaxed too.  Jeans, t-shirts and casual shoes are acceptable in every cabin, provided that some basic rules are applied (see below).

If you are travelling longhaul/overnight and want to change into sleepwear, please show sensitivity with this too.

Unacceptable attire (in any cabin):

- Overly revealing or sheer clothing, including bare midriffs

 - Sportswear or Activewear

- Jeans with cut off/frayed hems or holes

- Beach clothing (including swim wear/beach footwear e.g. flip-flops)

- Clothing with questionable/offensive wording or graphics

- Shorts of any description (except for children)

Special service requests

Special meals

It is not possible to pre-book special meals for rebate passengers. Therefore you and/or your eligible nominees who for any reason require a special diet, must provide your own food, in sufficient quantities to last for the duration of the flight.

Seat requests

• Seat requests are not permitted on Staff Travel. If the flight is open, the check-in agent may ask if you want an aisle or a window seat, but this depends on availability.
• Even if you are assigned a specific seat at check-in, this may be changed to accommodate commercial requirements.
• Please note that staff passengers must comply with requests from BA check-in staff, cabin crew, and flight crew, and must change seats if asked.
• Use of a safety seat for an infant is not permitted on board for rebate passengers.

Unaccompanied minors

• Children under 16 years cannot travel on a rebate ticket unless accompanied by an adult travelling on the same type of rebate ticket.

Other

No special service requirement is permitted when travelling on standby travel.

Amenity bags will not be given to staff who travel in premium cabins.  If offered, we ask that you politely decline.

Useful extra information

Flight deck

UK law prohibits acceptance of any person in the flight deck of a BA aircraft other than a BA employee. Similar rules apply to our affiliate airlines.

Insurance

BA strongly recommends all employees and their eligible nominees to have comprehensive travel insurance. We cannot offer any free-of-charge special arrangements if you sustain an injury or contract an illness during your stay away from home, or if you lose money or documents or personal possessions etc.

Back-up tickets

BA expects employees to purchase all tickets they or their eligible nominees are likely to require for the entire journey before departure from base, as local stations are not resourced to issue rebate tickets.

Aircraft configurations

• BA has various aircraft configurations which apply on different routes.
• All aircraft have an economy (or coach) cabin, which is called EuroTraveller within Europe, and World Traveller on longhaul routes.
• UK domestic flights are a one-class all economy service.
• Aircraft operating international flights also have a business class cabin, called Club Europe within Europe, and Club World on longhaul routes.
• Aircraft operating international longhaul flights can have one of several different configurations, with the most common being a four-cabin configuration, with a First class cabin, and an extra cabin called World Traveller Plus, between World Traveller and Club World.

Duty free shopping

BA's selection of duty-free items offered for sale in-flight, under its Shopping the World brand name, can be viewed at www.highlifeshop.com - so you can browse potential purchases before you fly.  BA's High Life Shop promises top brands from around the world, great value, a one-year quality guarantee, and full return and refund service.

This includes Concorde memorabilia.