Member Article

BA partners with travel tech startup to let fliers check-in their luggage at home

London-based tech startup Portr has announced a new partnership with British Airways that will allow fliers in Greater London to check in their baggage from the comfort of their own home.

All passengers in Greater London postcodes flying with British Airways from London Heathrow, Gatwick and London City Airport will now have the option to go completely bagless until they reach their destination thanks to the new AirPortr + Bag Check-In service.

The service works by allowing users to book and check in their bagging online on Portr’s website or app, a driver arrives to pick up their luggage, users then make their own way to the airport where their bags go through the usual security checks and are ready and waiting for them at their destination.

Portr Chief Executive, Randel Darby, said the service had been ‘years in the planning’ and that it represented a ‘game changing’ innovation for air travellers.

He said: “The industry has introduced mobile check-in, self-service and tagging, digitised the passport control process and successfully introduced paper-free boarding utilising smart phone technology to improve the passenger experience.

“But you can still only travel as fast, or in a way that your bags will allow you to. We expend so much effort and time carrying our bags around cities, to and from airports and standing in queues because of them.”

Naturally, considering the tight web of security surrounding air travel, the startup has had to work closely with aviation bodies, the Department for Transport (DfT) and even Homeland Security in the US to ensure the remote baggage check service is secure and safe.

“We’ve have worked closely with British Airways, our London airport partners and the Civil Aviation Authority, Department for Transport and Department for Homeland Security, to make this next generation experience a reality and prove that a convenient solution works for the consumer and is safe and secure,” added Darby.

Founded in 2012, Portr has attracted millions in funding from the likes of tech startup fund Force Over Mass Capital, and a number of angel investors, including a £6.3m Series A investment round in the last year.

Touted as an ‘affordable luxury’, the new partnership with BA is set to launch on 26 October with passengers charged £30 for the first bag and a further £10 charge per additional bag.