The British Airways website and mobile app are frequently derided for their lack of functionality and bug-ridden interfaces but according to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Heathrow-based flag carrier actually has the most accessible website of all major airlines in the country.
British Airways got a glowing report card from Hassell Inclusion, digital accessibility experts who’ve worked with some of the biggest brands in the UK, in a recent study commissioned by the CAA.
Looking at the digital consumer journey – i.e. the steps that consumers go through to search and book a flight online – British Airways achieved a score of seven out of ten, whereas Jet2, Ryanair and TUI all scored a pitiful one out of ten.
In terms of technical accessibility, which was measured by internationally recognised Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA), British Airways again scored seven out ten while Jet2, Ryanair and TUI only scored two out of ten.
British Airways said it was “delighted” with the results but acknowledged that work more was needed to improve accessibility and the airline’s online presence.
“This is a step in the right direction as we continue to work hard to review and improve our offering and support our customers that require additional assistance,” the airline told us in a statement.
“We believe our unique British Airways service should be accessible to everyone and remain committed in our efforts to provide a seamless end-to-end travel experience for all of our customers,” the statement continued.
Late last year, BA announced a partnership with Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People, which will include training sessions for frontline staff at the airline’s Heathrow hub.
British Airways estimates that around 500,000 passengers with accessibility needs fly with the airline every year, and BA says it wants to be the “airline of choice for customers with invisible and visible disabilities”.
Earlier this year, we exclusively revealed that British Airways had assembled a team of 200 engineers to transform BA’s website and app after securing much-needed funding from parent company IAG under the codename Nexus.
Last month, CEO Sean Doyle revealed some details about the project to investors, saying that the airline was currently at the midpoint of development and that he hoped a prototype would be ready by the end of the year.
Doyle initially expects the offering to be rolled out at BA’s short-haul subsidiary at London Gatwick and there will be a focus on upselling ancillaries.
Transcript International Airlines Group Half Year Results 28.07.2023
“We [also] want to integrate two very important components,” Doyle explained. “One would be ancillaries, so that they are available in terms of upselling. And secondly, loyalty, to make sure that that’s far more easily convertible in the booking flow than it is today.”
“We’d also like to incorporate dynamic pricing far more effectively than we do today. Also make sure that the digital experience is very similar and gives you the same booking flow and product experience, no matter what channel you book through,” Doyle continued.
