British Airways is trialling a new digital wayfinding tool to help customers navigate through London Heathrow. The new technology offers maps of both London Heathrow Terminal 5 and Terminal 3, helping customers who are travelling through the airline’s London hub to locate their departure gate and points of interest including shops, lounges and restaurants. The new wayfinding tool allows customers to navigate the airport more confidently, saving time and reducing the chance of missing their flight.
The tool provides clear directions and information on the airport layout, allowing customers to have a more seamless experience through London Heathrow. Through an interactive map, customers can click on areas of interest including shops and gain information about the location, opening times, and a description on items that can be purchased. The tool also allows bathrooms, seating areas and information points to be easily located.
Customers who are connecting between flights, can also input the details of their inbound and connecting flights and are then given step by step instructions along with an animated map on how to get from the arrival gate through flight connections to their connecting flight departure gate.
The trial which began in June is available to all customers who are travelling through London Heathrow, and can access the tool through QR codes on digital screens in London Heathrow or by visiting wayfinding.maps.ba.com. As part of the trial, links to wayfinding have also been sent to all customers travelling into London Heathrow and connecting from destinations including New York JFK, Dubai, Mexico City, Atlanta, Dallas Fort Worth and Houston.
Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said: “We always want to make travelling through the airport as easy as possible for our customers, so we’re really excited to be trialling a new wayfinding tool this summer. The interactive map is simple to use, allowing our customers to easily locate their departure gates and discover nearby restaurants and shops for some last-minute duty-free shopping, and for those customers who are eligible, our lounges. Of course, our fantastic colleagues will still be on hand to help as well.”
Along with investing in new digital wayfinding technology to simplify customers’ journeys through London Heathrow, British Airways is offering travel advice for those travelling over the summer period:
- Customers should download the British Airways App by visiting ba.com/app. The app allows customers to easily select seats, order special meals, check their flight status, check-in for flights online and download their boarding pass where applicable.
- All essential items should be kept in customers’ hand baggage including medication, travel documents, electronic devices and other valuables. More information on hand baggage allowances can be found by visiting Baggage allowance | Information | British Airways
- For customers travelling through airports with a 100ml liquid restriction, including London Heathrow and London Gatwick, it is recommended that customers separate their liquids before they get to the airport and have them in separate area ready to pop them into a clear bag at the airport ahead of clearing security.
- Any customers requiring assistance are recommended to contact the British Airways accessibility team ahead of travel. More information can be found by visiting How to request assistance | Disability assistance | British Airways
- Customers are recommended to arrive at the airport three hours before a long-haul flight and two hours prior to a short-haul flight.
Elsewhere, British Airways has rolled out digital baggage receipts in the ba.com app, allowing customers to generate an easily assessable digital bag receipt, in addition to the physical copy printed at the airport. Through the ba.com app, customers at London Heathrow also now receive notifications when their bag has reached the arrivals hall. The notification includes which baggage carousel customers can collect their bag from, providing an improved seamless experience from the moment they land in London, through the airport to their onward journey.
