British Airways will impose a 45-minute cut-off time for check-in at Heathrow’s new Terminal 5 despite having state-of-the-art security and luggage-handling systems.
The deadline will apply across the board – including to business-class passengers.
BA pledges passengers will spend no more than five minutes at check-in and be through to security within ten minutes. But a spokesman said the closing time for check-in would be unbreakable: “Flights will shut 45 minutes before departure.”
Passengers will require 15 minutes to get from security to the terminal’s furthest departure gate, according to BA.
The carrier will begin operating most European services and all domestic flights from Terminal 5 on March 27. The majority of intercontinental services will follow on April 30.
Advantage business travel director Norman Gage welcomed the 45-minute deadline. He said: “Punters need to be on time for an airline to be on time. A 45-minute cut-off is better than half an hour if people are not in a queue for 15 minutes.”
BA also said it will no longer allow last-minute changes to tickets or seating at the boarding gate.