British Airways has become the first UK airline to trial a new video service transforming the experience for customers that use British Sign Language (BSL). The initiative is being trialled as part of the airline’s continued efforts to make travel simple and easy for customers with additional assistance needs.
The airline’s new partnership with SignLive will see the company’s BSL service embedded in British Airways’ customer engagement centres. The platform allows customers to access a range of services before, during and after their journeys in a modern, simple and easy way.
British Airways customers will now be able to contact the airline through SignLive’s Community Directory where the team can assist with:
-Providing information and support about their journey and what to expect of the experience
-General customer service queries
-Booking flights
-Pre-booking seating
-Providing permission for service dogs to travel in the cabin
Welcoming the new trial, British Airways’ Head of Sustainability, Carrie Harris, said:
“It’s important for us to mark International Day of People with Disabilities, because before the pandemic, almost half a million customers who required additional assistance flew with British Airways each year and we’re focused on supporting customers with both hidden and visible disabilities to make their journey easier and stress-free.
In 2019 we invested in a new specialist accessibility team and as part of our broader focus on sustainability, diversity and inclusion, we are proud to be working with SignLive to make it as easy as possible for our customers using British Sign Language to receive the support they need. We hope to roll this technology out permanently as part of our unique British Airways’ service.”
Joel Kellhofer, CEO at SignLive said:
“By introducing our service, British Airways will be making air travel much more accessible to the UK’s Deaf population. We welcome any strides to improve inclusion and accessibility, and this is a huge step forward by such a well-known brand. We are happy that British Airways have chosen SignLive to support their customers.”
Supporting customers with additional needs
Aiming to become the airline of choice for customers with hidden and visible disabilities, British Airways has invested in several initiatives to ensure a seamless experience for customers requiring additional assistance.
In 2018, British Airways launched its ‘Beyond Accessibility’ campaign, the airline’s largest global accessibility training programme. This programme empowers customer-facing colleagues to improve support for customers requiring additional assistance. It includes a new library of digital learning providing information about hidden disabilities and practical advice on how to support customers at each stage of their journey*.
In 2019, the airline created a dedicated team of accessibility experts to assist with customer enquiries, and as a result British Airways saw customer satisfaction levels more than double for travellers with accessibility needs **.
British Airways also became the first and only airline to be awarded the renowned Autism Friendly Award by the National Autistic Society and is the first airline to produce a Visual Guide to Flying to help customers prepare for their flight. The guide, which can be found on ba.com, is endorsed by the National Autistic Society and explains the sights, sounds, smells and experiences customers may encounter during their journey***.
The same year, British Airways signed up to the ‘Valuable 500’ pledge to make accessibility a global business priority.
