Last updated: 31 October 2026.
British Airways lets you check in online, in the app, at a kiosk or at a desk. Without a boarding pass by the time check-in shuts, you will not be accepted on the flight.
24 hoursbefore departure when online and app check-in open
60 minbefore departure when Heathrow and Gatwick long-haul check-in closes
45 minHeathrow and Gatwick short-haul check-in close
30 minLondon City check-in closes
Ways to check in
- Online
- Opens a day ahead through Manage My Booking; the pass can be printed, saved or emailed
- App
- Opens a day ahead; one phone can hold passes for as many as eight people on a booking, and passes for return or connecting flights leaving inside 24 hours can be saved
- Airport kiosk
- Use your booking reference or passport; the kiosk prints the pass, and a lost pass can be reprinted there
- Check-in desk
- For travellers who want staff to help
- AirPortr doorstep check-in
- Paid service: a courier collects your bags at your house, workplace or hotel; offered near Heathrow and Gatwick, and from Geneva, Zurich and Vienna
When airport check-in closes
- London Heathrow and London Gatwick
- 60 minutes for long-haul, 45 minutes for short-haul
- London City
- 30 minutes for all flights
- London Stansted
- 60 minutes for all flights
- Other short-haul airports
- 45 minutes, with 60 minutes at Algiers, Amsterdam, Amman, Antalya, Barcelona, Berlin (Brandenburg), Cairo, Copenhagen, Dalaman, Edinburgh, Florence, Frankfurt, Geneva, Ibiza, Istanbul (both), Lisbon, Madrid, Malaga, Manchester, Marrakech, Milan (both), Munich, Naples, Nice, Palma, Paris, Pisa, Ponta Delgada, Rome, Venice and Zurich; 90 minutes at Brussels
- Long-haul airports
- At least 60 minutes; some, such as Ghana, 90 minutes. Check the exact time in your booking.
Bags and bag drop
- With only hand baggage and a boarding pass, go straight to security. On intercontinental flights from Heathrow Terminal 3 or 5, go to an assistance desk before security, where staff look at your passport and visa.
- With bags and a pass from the app or website, go to Bag Drop with your ID and documents. If you lack a pass, print it at a kiosk first.
- Bag Drop points: Heathrow Terminal 5 (zones C, D and F of Departures), Gatwick and London City (main Departures concourse). At Heathrow Terminal 3, print bag tags at a kiosk, even if already checked in, then use the Bag Drop area.
Overnight bag drop
Heathrow Terminal 3
- Hours the day before
- 16:00 to 21:30
- For flights departing before
- 10:00
Heathrow Terminal 5
- Hours the day before
- 16:00 to 22:00
- For flights departing before
- 10:00
Gatwick
- Hours the day before
- 18:00 to 21:00
- For flights departing before
- 13:00
London City
- Hours the day before
- 16:00 to 20:30
- For flights departing before
- 10:00
Edinburgh
- Hours the day before
- 16:00 to 20:00
- For flights departing before
- 12:00 (1 hour free parking)
Glasgow
- Hours the day before
- 16:00 to 20:00
- For flights departing before
- 12:00 (1 hour free parking)
Jersey
- Hours the day before
- 16:30 to 20:00
- For flights departing before
- 12:00 (30 minutes free parking)
Questions travellers ask us
When can I check in online?
From 24 hours before departure.
What time does Heathrow check-in close?
Sixty minutes before long-haul flights and 45 before short-haul ones.
Can I drop bags the night before?
Yes at certain airports for early flights, such as Heathrow T5 between 16:00 and 22:00.
Baggage Allowance is an independent information site and is not part of British Airways. Check the airline's own pages before you travel.
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