How to Check-in at British Airways

If you have booked a flight with British Airways, you will need to check in online. To do this, please enter your booking reference in the “Online check-in” section. You will be able to view your flight status and make any necessary changes. You can also book upgrades once you have checked in. You can choose to upgrade your ticket after check-in, or you can book an upgrade right away. The price of an upgrade depends on the number of Avios you have, as well as the availability of the cabin you’ve selected.

Check-in kiosks

British Airways check-in kiosks are located at selected airports. They will take a credit card or debit card and a passport to process your check-in. You can also select your seat and print your boarding pass. British Airways advises that you arrive at least three hours before you leave. You might not be able to check in at kiosks in case you are travelling on a codeshare flight. As such, check-in kiosks are the rage in European airport terminals. 

These vending machines have become an unavoidable factor in airports with the changing technological trends embracing more mobile and internet-based technologies. The kiosk system has already been embraced in the British Airways airports located in London, such as Gatwick and London City Airport, whereby travelers are able to check in and receive their boarding passes together with luggage tags. The passengers will be able to maintain the traveling experience using the kiosks, and congestion at the terminals will be reduced at the airports. The British Airways application enables users to do online check-in a minimum of 24 hours before the flight departure time. After that, you will receive an opportunity to print or download the boarding pass. You can also check in at any of the kiosks at the airports.

British Airways check-in time

Check-in hours for British Airways are typically as follows:

• Check-in opens 24 hours and 1 hour before the departure (2 hour before the departure in the United States).
• The closing times of check-in are different in various airports and also on various flights.
• The short flights will have their closures at London Heathrow 45 minutes earlier, and the long flights 60 minutes before the scheduled flights.
• London Gatwick Airport closes 45 minutes before taking off short-term flights and 60 minutes before a long-haul flight.
• At the London City Airport, it is shut half an hour earlier than any flight.
• The rest of the UK airports have their doors shut 45 minutes before the commencement of each flight.
• Europe is characterized by short-distance airports that are normally closed 45 minutes before departure, although there are those that will go to the extent of requiring a check-in that will be at least an hour ahead of schedule.
• British Airways check-in time for international flights: The minimum time required before departure on British Airways is 60 minutes; however, in certain countries, like Ghana, it is 90 minutes.

British Airways checked-in baggage dimensions

British Airways typically accepts luggage that is 90 x 75 x 43 cm (35 x 30 x 17 inches), including handles and wheels. The weight restrictions are dependent on your cabin class:

• Economy and Premium Economy: British Airways check-in baggage size allows up to 23 kg of baggage weight (51 lb).
• Business and First Class: Suitcases up to 32 kg (70 lb) are permitted in each of them.
• The number of bags that you will carry, as well, will depend on your fare type and cabin class. 
• One checked bag is permitted in Economy, two in Premium Economy, two in Business, and three in First.
• Your bag will be deemed big and incur additional costs if it is larger than these measurements. It could be necessary at the British Airways check-in baggage​ to make extra arrangements or ship the cargo if the weight exceeds the weight limits.

British Airways changes seats after check-in

In general, British Airways prohibits the change of seats after check-in. The key issues are the following:

• You can change your seat online before your boarding pass is issued. Once your boarding pass (printed, downloaded, or emailed) has been generated, seat changes online are no longer possible.
• After check-in but before getting on the plane, you may inquire at the airport as to whether or not you can change your seats. Seat changes may be permitted in your price category at the check-in desk or the gate by the staff on duty, depending on availability.
• Due to operational, safety, or aircraft changes, British Airways sometimes needs to rearrange your seat once you have boarded. In such cases, they attempt to offer a suitable alternative service and could compensate you for any seats that you have paid for but cannot attend. 
• You may choose to print or download your boarding pass later, so you have a choice of swapping seats.
• If you switch to a more expensive seat when choosing a paid seat, you might have to pay the difference; there are no refunds if you go to a less expensive seat.
• You might be eligible for a refund if British Airways modifies the seat you paid for.

Virtual queue

British Airways is trialing a new way to streamline the check-in process by offering customers a virtual queue. The new technology from Qmatic allows customers to choose a specific time to check in. Then, they will be notified via email of the time and will not need to join the general check-in queue. The technology is already being used by the Tate Modern and BP service stations in the UK, but British Airways is the first airline to use it. It will be trialed on selected flights from Heathrow in the coming months. It will be optional for passengers and will only be available for selected flights.

British Airways check-in app

The British Airways smartphone app provides a thorough and practical approach to travel management. As of 2025, the following are the main characteristics of check-in and general flight management:

• You are able to check in and choose your seat at any point and from any place using the app.
• Single boarding cards can also be downloaded directly onto your phone, and with the same booking reference, you may print multiple boarding passes on a single device (up to eight passengers).
• The app informs you and guides you through the process when your flight is ready to be checked in.
• Also, you could manage your booking through the process of adding flights to your calendar, purchasing upgrades, and reserving seats.
• The app provides live flight monitoring, gates, and terminals, and any changes.
• Except for reservations involving newborns, the software allows families or groups traveling together to store several boarding cards on a single phone.
• Additional perks for Executive Club members include digital bag tag management, transaction history, and tracking of Avios and Tier Points.
• You can have the ability of easy access to your boarding passes and flight details by placing a British Airways widget on your phone’s home screen.
• The app can be downloaded by users with both iOS and Android devices and accommodates the Apple Watch to provide in-the-minute updates on flight status.

British Airways check-in problems

IT system problems that impact both online and airport check-in procedures are the main cause of British Airways’ check-in issues in recent years. Key details about these issues are as follows: 

• British Airways has experienced numerous catastrophic IT crashes in the past years, with one particular instance in January 202,5 which affected many travelers greatly due to them having to check in and acquire tickets online. The airline acknowledged the issue, citing old technological systems and the perpetual expenditures involved in trying to upgrade these systems.
• The airline has previously been forced to revert to manual types of checking in because of system issues, which have led to cancellations, delays, and an increase in processing time at an airport. As an example, there were about 100 canceled short-haul flights when there was an outage at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and London City airports.
• The common complaints of the consumers are that either they cannot use the British Airways app or site to check in, or they receive error messages, or they cannot use the online check-in system. These may take an hour or two to resolve, but as a backup, you may be required to go to the airport check-in desk.
• The mistakes, such as an unpredictable placement of a customer on standby and the need to have additional checks of documents that do not allow them to pass to check-in online, may also be caused by operational hiccups. Due to such signals that occur during the procedure, some people who travel see that they will be able to check in only at the airport.
• British Airways has advised travelers to plan for increased airport time during these disruptions, as well as to stay informed by continuously checking “Manage My Booking”. While the airline seeks to mitigate disruptions as quickly as possible, they have also warned of potential operational delays.

If you are having trouble checking in on British Airways:

• Try exiting the app or website and then returning.
• System outages may occur; therefore, try the process again after a while.
• If it doesn’t work, be ready to check in at the airport with additional time.

To assist them with making a booking or rebooking their alternatives, they can contact the British Airways customer support, but not all software issues can be addressed promptly.

British Airways check-in baggage allowance

Additional luggage can possible purchased online or at the airport and is cheaper online (35-140 vs. 75-165 at the airport, depending on the route). When the weight of a bag exceeds the weight limit but does not exceed 32 kg, overweight baggage charges are levied (e.g., an overweight bag charge of £65 per bag per journey). Bags that will be checked should be less than 32 kg.

There are also baggage differences on various routes, just to name a few: Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria. Moreover, each passenger can carry one personal item (the maximum size is 40 x 30 x 15 cm) and one piece of hand luggage (the maximum size is 56 x 45 x 25 cm) with a weight of up to 23 kg.

Booking upgrades after check-in

One of the best ways to secure an upgrade after you check in at British Airways is to download the airline’s app. The app was designed to make booking an upgrade a simple process, even before mobile phones became popular. As you can see, this makes the job of the app developer very easy. Once you’ve selected a flight, you can begin the process of booking an upgrade. You’ll see a page that will tell you which flights are available for upgrade. On the next screen, you’ll be asked to provide your details and specify the payment method. When you select an upgrade, you’ll be offered the option to either pay for it yourself or have the upgrade paid for by someone else. You can also book upgrades through the BA app, which has a feature that allows you to upgrade your flight without paying for it.