BA app and contacting BA

soolin

I travel a fair bit and have always found BA to be one of the worst airlines - and now I am having issues after deciding to give them another try.

I have booked my flights, no problem at all using my PC. However it suggests having the BA app on the phone so I can check in on my return journey. The issue is the app won't accept my password, it just says it is wrong- and that I need to reset it. Re setting it doesn't work - nothing happens so it suggests I use live chat. Got onto live chat who can't help as I need to phone. Phoned the number live chat gave to me who say they can't deal with issues at the moment and for queries to go to live chat or use the app. It did give me the option to hold which I did for an hour and then gave up.

Back to live chat who told me that I can just turn up at airport and check in there - which I would prefer not to do as I like to be prepared and would be happier to check in 24 hours before. Live chat then helpfully suggested it can all be done on the app- is this normal BA 'assistance'?

Woodstok2000

You can check in on the ba website too - on a laptop/desktop or a phone or tablet.

flaneurs_lobster

Seems my BA account is still active (I haven't flown them in over 10 years) so just tried installing the app on my (Android) mobile - seems fine. My password is 20 chars of random gloop.

Reasonably recent mobile with updates current?

Any VPN turned off?

soolin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82120055#Comment_82120055

my point being though that I can ‘only’ log in on my PC , I cannot access my account on the App or any other device like a laptop or iPad.

soolin

Although I am now trying something that I saw online as a suggestion, deleting everything on my iPad (I think better on that than the small iPhone screen) completely turning off my device and then trying to open a new account, which should prompt the ‘you already have an account’ message ……….

EDIT that worked, I got the ‘you already have an account ‘ message and was given the option to reset my password, and this time I actually got the password reset email and am just setting a new password.

Yay that works, finally managed to access the app so all is well. No idea why the password reset hasn’t worked before but just glad it worked this time.

Grumpy_chap

I never even knew there was a BA App and I use BA of choice - in fact I just this afternoon booked my next trip with them. Nothing at any point suggested the BA App.

What does the BA App do that can't be done easily on the BA website?

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82120132#Comment_82120132

I suspect nothing at all other than sit in your pocket on a phone.

BA allow check-in 24 hours before the flight - might be useful to be able to do this from your phone if not travelling with laptop. Useful place to check for delays too.

soolin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82120132#Comment_82120132

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82120146#Comment_82120146

I don't travel with a laptop , I might travel with an ipad but occasionally not even that. I usually use airlines such as easyjet where the app has a fair bit of info - not sure if BA does the same. For instance on Easyjet I can see any changes to my flight time, even if it is just 5 minutes or so, it shows me where the aircraft is (near the departure time only) so for instance when they are urging people to get to the gate as boarding has started it t is amusing to see the plane hasn't even landed yet. On Ryan air it's used even to order food and drinks without having to wait for cabin service to reach your row.

I'll be interested to see what, if anything the BA ap does. Hopefully it will at least enable me to check in the day before and see where I'm seated.

eskbanker

when they are urging people to get to the gate as boarding has started it t is amusing to see the plane hasn't even landed yet

'Boarding' doesn't always literally imply actually getting onto the aircraft, it's more widely used to denote passing through the gate check, and with low-cost carriers in particular this is often a precursor to loitering around in gangways or stairwells between gate and plane, so boarding (in that broader sense) can be completed and the gate closed before the inbound flight has landed…

Doshwaster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82120132#Comment_82120132

You aren't missing much. BA have always had one of the worst apps in the airline industry. The latest "refresh" isn't quite as bad as the previous one but it's still very limited compared to other airlines.