British Airways has increased the number of bag drop machines at its Heathrow T5 hub.
The carrier now has a total of 72 self-service machines at T5, with “customer service agents on hand to provide assistance when needed”.
BA says that over 3.5 million customers have used the technology so far, adding that “the number of machines has been increased after customers praised their ease of use”.
The move follows the airline’s plans for a multi-million pound investment in staff training at Heathrow, with the aim of “empowering” employees to solve any customer problem that may arise.
BA said that following training, staff will be required to walk the terminal floor “reaching out to customers”, rather than waiting for them to visit desks.
Commenting on the additional bag drop machines, Yannick Berneau, British Airways’ Head of Customer Experience at Terminal 5 said:
“Removing the ‘desk’ as a physical barrier between customers and our agents allows us to offer the more personalised service that British Airways prides itself on.
“Hosted bag-drops are a great combination of automation and traditional customer service. The introduction of automation across the terminal has meant that our customers avoid queues and enjoy a faster, smoother journey through the airport.”