BA tests check-in app to help beat airport Covid clusters

Virtual queueing is to be trialled at Heathrow Airport to avoid people congregating at check-in desks or boarding gates as part of a Covid-driven revolution in flying.

British Airways is testing a system that will allow passengers to book a time to board their flight via Qmatic, a mobile phone app that will “ping” them when it is their turn.

It could mean an end to the traditional “go to gate” messages on information boards as airlines try to find ways of minimising the time passengers spend crammed into small areas.

Once on board their flights, people will be asked to remain seated, with a mask on, for as much of the flight as possible rather than getting up to chat to friends in other seats.

BA is also trialling a saliva-based Covid test that gives results in just 25 seconds and could be a “game-changer” for the way pre-flight tests are conducted.

The reopening of travel to “green list” countries on Monday without the need for quarantine will see an increase in passenger numbers, which will steadily grow as more countries are added over the summer.

Other Covid-secure measures put in place at Heathrow include robots that “fry” the virus in lavatory blocks using ultra-violet light, touch screens with anti-viral coatings and a temperature testing area for passengers travelling to countries requiring it as a condition of travel.

But it is the extensive testing regime and increased use of technology to avoid queueing that will make the biggest difference to passengers flying for the first time since the pandemic began.

Virtual queueing systems have been in use at theme parks and other venues for years, but until now airline passengers have been unable to avoid them at boarding gates. BA hopes that will soon become a thing of the past.

Matthew Callard, the airline’s head of ground experience, said: “We have had online check-in for some time, but boarding is the biggest problem because people tend to congregate around the gates.

“We are trying to remove pinch points by trialling personalised boarding so that people can get an allocated time slot for getting on the aircraft. They will get a message sent to their mobile phone telling them when to be at the gate.”

A trial of the system will begin on domestic flights next week, with a view to rolling it out further if it proves popular. Passengers will still have the option of physically queueing, but those who use the app will be able to spend their time shopping or relaxing in lounges until it is their turn to board.

A similar system will be in use at Heathrow for check-in for passengers who have not checked in online. They will be able to scan a QR code with their mobile phone when they arrive at the terminal and will then receive a message telling them when to come forward to check in.

Portugal is the first major European country to make it onto the government’s green list, and anyone travelling there from next week will have to take Covid tests before, during and after their trip. However, British holidaymakers hoping to jet off to Portugal are facing uncertainty after the nation's government decided to extend its "state of calamity" until at least May 30.

Guidance published on the Portuguese Government's website on Thursday stated that ministers had approved a move to continue the current level of lockdown.

When holidaymakers can travel, they will have to take a PCR test at home up to 72 hours before flying, which has to be sent to a lab for processing. The tests cost £40-60. Another test must be taken within 72 hours of their return, costing £33, and finally they must take a test two days after getting home, costing another £40-60.

A 25-second saliva test, known as a “pelican” test, is being trialled by BA which would be quicker and cheaper than a PCR test, and could be taken on arrival at the airport so it can be done under supervision, unlike at-home tests.

Heathrow has hired 100 “hygiene technicians” to disinfect surfaces, with lift buttons and other “touch points” cleaned every 20 to 25 minutes. It has also bought four robots that deep clean each lavatory block every three to four days using UVC light, which can only be done when the blocks are empty because the rays are so powerful.

Russell Wooding, the hygiene operations manager for Heathrow, said: “When we first used them you could almost smell the burning of the bacteria that they got rid of.”

Meanwhile, Germany, Spain and Holland have become the latest European countries to open their borders to British holidaymakers, prompting warnings that the UK is in danger of being left behind as it maintains tough restrictions on arrivals.

From Thursday, Germany will admit anyone with double vaccinations without them having to do a PCR test – even if they come from a higher risk “amber list” country. They will be exempt from quarantine, while any incoming passenger who requires a test to enter will be able to have one free of charge.

Spain and the Netherlands have gone further, allowing anyone from countries with low infection rates – such as the UK – to enter without having to do either a PCR test or to prove their vaccination status.

Henry Smith, the chairman of Parliament's all-party Future of Aviation group, said the moves by other European nations highlighted “the very real risk that our overly cautious reopening risks leaving the UK recovery behind and places UK aviation at a competitive disadvantage”.

He added: “It also reinforces that the Government must take urgent action to reduce the cost of testing through measures such as removing VAT and work urgently towards exempting vaccinated passengers from onerous restrictions.

“Our aviation and travel industries will be vital to our economic recovery and placing them at a competitive disadvantage to our competitors makes no sense whatsoever and this must be considered at the highest levels of Government ahead of the first review point.”