Flying with BA? Check-in your luggage on the Heathrow Express airport platforms

From Monday if you are flying with BA you’ll be able to check-in your luggage on the Heathrow Express airport platforms. The service is being run in association with Airportr, of whom we are big fans of having used them on previous trips. You can read our Airportr review here – https://pointsuncovered.com/miscellaneous/airportr-review-no-more-cases-on-trains/

What’s on offer?

From Monday if you take the Heathrow Express to Heathrow T5 you’ll have the option of checking in your luggage on the platform. The service is in operation from 5am – 10am. It is also only available to passengers who are able to check in online. That means if you are going to a destination that requires COVID test/vaccination proof you can’t use it unless you are able to submit your test/proof online.

How does it work?

Upon arrival to Heathrow T5 on the Heathrow Express head to the BA drop-off point. You’ll be handing your luggage over to Airportr (a third party) rather than BA staff. They will then seal and secure your luggage and be responsible for ensuring it enters the Heathrow baggage system. Once your bag has been processed you can track its progress on an app.

Is there any real benefit to this?

To be honest it sounds like a really niche market! Firstly you need to arrive between 5am and 10am. Secondly, If you’ve decided to take the Heathrow Express to T5 it’s not an exactly laborious task to get in a lift to the departure hall with your luggage. If traveling with luggage is an issue it’s likely you’d use Airportr to collect your luggage from your home! The only real possible benefit here is you could avoid a queue to check-in your luggage in the terminal. But that is only a could, there is no way of knowing unless they have a sign with the estimated wait time on the platform!

If you are staying local to the Airport it’s worth noting British Airways offers a baggage drop service the night before travel from Heathrow Terminal 5. You can drop your bags off between 4pm and 9pm on the day before you travel.