British Airways is continually looking at ways in which we can improve the customer proposition. Self Service Check-in allows your customers to avoid the queues and speed through the airport.
British Airways has an ongoing programme of installing Self-Service Check-in kiosks. Using the Kiosks is very simple, as all the instructions appear on screen. If your customers have any difficulties however, there is always a British Airways member of staff nearby to help.
Customer benefits of Self Service Check-in Kiosks
The benefits include: - Take control of your own check-in
- Save time at the airport
- View an interactive seating plan and choose or change your seat
- Print your itinerary receipt if you have an e-ticket booking
- Update your booking with your frequent flyer details
- Check in and print your return boarding card as well if the scheduled departure is within 24 hours
- Flexibility of group check in (up to 6 person on a single PNR) - group members can check in as individuals regardless of whether they are at the airport at the same time
Who can use Self Service Check-in Kiosks?
Self-Service Check-in kiosks are available to the following passengers when travelling on flights operated by British Airways, including bookings made through a travel agent: - Adults, children and infants travelling on an e-ticket
- Groups of up to six passengers per booking can check in using one transaction
- Groups of more than six passengers per booking can check in individually
- Adults, children and infants travelling with a ticket with a magnetic stripe
- Customers travelling on British Airways operated flights
- Groups of any size per booking will be checked in individually
Please note, if your customers are travelling as a family or a group, their seats will usually be pre-allocated together. If they choose to move to another seat, they will be moving away from the other members of their group and we cannot ensure they will be seated together. - Passengers holding bookings with single/multi sector journeys
- Passengers holding open tickets (customers will be checked directly in to the next available flight)
- Online Check-in passengers with hand baggage only collecting boarding passes at the kiosks
- Passengers travelling with baggage. After Self-Service Check-in kiosks they can take their bags to a dedicated bag-drop desk (Fast Bag Drop), where baggage is tagged and the usual security questions are asked.
The following passengers will be unable to use Self service Check-in:
- Passengers travelling on or connecting to the following barred routes: Abuja, Accra, Beirut, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Dhaka, Harare, Islamabad, Kiev, Kuwait, Lagos, Lusaka, Madras, Melbourne, Sydney.
- Passengers wishing to check-in for an earlier or later flight than the one they are confirmed on.
- Passengers with standby or unconfirmed bookings
- Unaccompanied Minors (UMs)
How does it work
There are five simple steps to using the Self-Service Check-in kiosk. You can explain them to your customers as follows: - Insert your ATB, Executive Club card or credit card (if the number was entered in the FOID field) as a form of identification.
- Booking details appear on screen - verify these details. They can change their seat if they wish.
- If returning within 24 hours, they can also check in for their British Airways return journey.
- They are now checked in and their boarding card is printed at the machine (or ATB updated and returned).
- If you have hold baggage, you can deposit it at the Fast Bag Drop.
- You can then proceed through security as usual and board the aircraft.
Important Points to Note
If the customer has more than one e-ticket held in the system for travel that day then a list of all the valid tickets will be shown and the customer selects the one to be used.
Passengers with 'open dated' return sectors in their e-ticket booking or those who holding an open dated return ATB ticket can check-in for these sectors. It is important to note that the passenger will be checked in for the next scheduled service on that route provided a seat is available. If there are no seats available the passenger will be instructed to go straight to check-in.
What we need you to do
Collecting customer information
To allow your customers to take advantage of Self-Service Check-in kiosks, enter the following information in the GDS each time you make a booking:
The FOID. This is crucial - without it, customers will not be able to use Self-Service Check-in kiosks.
Capture the customer’s credit/debit card number* at the time of booking and enter it in to the FOID field against all of the passengers within the booking (this will be as fixed text to avoid errors).
Amadeus: SRFOIDBAHK/-CCVI1234123412341234/P1
Galileo: SI.P1/SSRFOIDBAHK1/CCVI1234123412341234
Sabre: 3FOID/CCVI1234123412341234-1.1
Worldspan: 3SSRFOIDBAHK/CCVI1234123412341234-1.1
Inform and reassure the customer that this will be used for identification purposes only.
Advise the customer to insert the credit/debit card which is contained in the booking to initiate check-in using the Self Service machine
If the travelling passenger has a BA Executive Club card you can enter this number into the FOID field and tell the passenger to insert this into the machine for identification. You will have to passenger-relate this number if there is a group wishing to check in together.
The customer's email address. With it, we can forward flight itineraries and other useful service information. As well, we can contact customers directly if there are flight disruptions - so you don't have to.
The customer's mobile phone number - so they can receive a text message if there are any flight disruptions.
The API - for flights to the United States, Canada and Australia, among other destinations. This information is required for security purposes; by entering it when you make the booking, you will save your customers time during the check-in process.
Your FOID questions answered
Q: Does the expiry date on the credit card also need to be advised?
A: No
Q: Does the issue number or 3-digit security code from the back of the credit card need to be advised?
A: No
Q: What happens in the circumstances where a 3rd party pays for the ticket?
A: The travelling passenger must advise their credit/debit card number, which will be used for identification purposes only.
Q: What if we cannot obtain the travelling passenger’s credit/debit card number?
A: For an individual booking, Self Service Check-in can still be used if the passenger has their flight number, Amadeus booking reference or Executive Club card.
Q: Are there any data protection issues with the agent passing on the credit card details to a 3rd/4th party (to GDS then to the airline)?
A: No, all agents are covered for this as a form of disclosure within their T’s & C’s
Q: Will the customer be charged again at the kiosk by entering his credit/debit card?
A: No, the FOID and credit/debit card is for identification purposes only.
Q: Some customers have a different name on their credit card from their passport. Will they still be able to use Self Service Check in kiosks?
A: Yes, the kiosk will look for the FOID and match this to the credit card inserted to begin the check in transaction.
Self-Service Check-in demonstration
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